Wait for Me
by uprisingdragon
Summary: Una ended one war, only to get thrown headfirst into another. At surface level, the battle between Nohr and Hoshido seems like a simple conflict. However, the deeper she looks into it, the more unnerving the circumstances become. Laslow has been waiting for Una to return to him, but life isn't going to give them their happy ending just yet. Continuation of Glib Banter.
1. Chapter 1: Nohr

**Hello everybody! If you're hopping over from Glib Banter, welcome back! If you're curious to why this story is getting reposted, also welcome back! If you're new, you're going to be really confused. I recently finished an Avatar (Una) x Inigo story called **_Glib Banter_**, which ended in a cliffhanger that picks up here. These first few chapters are going to be world-building, so you might be able to pick up the pieces of what's going on, but I'd strongly recommend reading Glib Banter first. Another heads up: Una is not a Corrin stand-in in this story. She is more of an added character, which means that the game plot is going to be altered slightly. If you're cool with that, then welcome aboard! **

**I didn't really like the direction this story was going in when I wrote it. There is a lot of world building that I wanted to get to, but the way that I set things up wasn't making much sense to me. So, after sitting on this story for literally a year (sorry guys), I'm going to try and pick things back up again! Wish me luck, haha. I'm really excited for this next part to go up, so I hope you all enjoy chapter 1!**

* * *

_"Chrom, we have to do SOMETHING."_

_"What do you propose we do?"_

_"I... I dunno..."_

_Una felt herself stir, her eyes fluttering open to see a familiar prince and princess standing above her. Their armor was gone, leaving them in clothes identical to the ones she met them in. It was only when she propped herself up that she was able to take the lush, grassy field in. The purple haired girl took a deep breath, sighing blissfully at the smell of dandelions in the air. She was home," I see you're awake now."_

_She sent a grin towards Chrom, only to get her attention pulled away by Lissa," Hey there!"_

_"There're better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know. Give me your hand."_

_Una giggled, reaching up to slip her hand in his-_

One second, she was looking up at Chrom's face glowing in the summer sun. The next, she was facing a gray sky. Una blinked a few times before reaching up to rub her eyes. Her hand felt heavy, nothing like the feather-like joy that bundled in her chest when she reached up towards Chrom. Was that all a dream?

The tactician shifted into a sitting position, taking in her new surroundings with a pinch of salt. Gone were the soft, summer winds, replaced with a dead weight hanging in the air. The grass surrounding her was crackled and dead, coated with specs of what looked like dust.

Una used the decaying tree behind her to help get onto her feet, mind reeling and blank at the same time. The last thing she remembered was Chrom holding her in his arms until her vision faded to black. She _had_ died, hadn't she? Una gingerly pinched her forearm, frowning when she felt a tinge of pain coincide with it. She had always assumed that the limitations of the human body didn't follow into the afterlife. Either she wasn't dead or this was some sort of cruel purgatory.

"H—p!"

Una's eyebrows furrowed at the distant sound, immediately distracted from the matter at hand. Her fingers fluttered over her harness, pleased to find that a tome was still strapped on. _At least my belongings died alongside me_, she thought with a touch of chagrin.

The tactician's ears perked at the sound of hoofs stampeding in the distance. It wasn't long before the horse came into view with a young, blonde girl seated on top of it. She seemed to be running away from something, but as soon as she made eye contact with Una, she abruptly steered her horse towards her," I-I need help! Can you help me?"

"What's wrong?" Una asked as she took in the child's ragged appearance. Her blonde and purple streaked hair was already unrolling from her twin ponytails, and parts of her black dress were streaked with tears. She managed to come out of it thankfully unscathed, but the fear in her eyes were unparalleled. Gods, she couldn't have been older than twelve," Are you alright?"

"I-I'm okay," She slid off her horse and steered it behind the tree, either oblivious to the fact that the bare trunk couldn't hide the creature or doing some serious wishful thinking," We need to hide! H-He's coming!"

That was hardly enough information to go off of. After ping-ponging strategies back and forth in her head, she decided that it would all be rendered useless if she didn't know what she was up against. With a sigh, Una knelt down next to where the girl had burrowed herself," It will be okay," She assured, hoping that keeping a level tone would keep the blonde from spiraling further," Who is coming after you?"

Una felt almost as if someone had whipped her worlds away when she caught the terror in the girl's watery irises. She knew that look; it had been burned into her memory the second she received it from Morgan in the middle of the snowy battlefield.

She had to bite her lip to force the tears back. She had made her sacrifice. If being away from her family meant they were finally safe, she was happy. She…She _had_ to be happy. Una felt a lump grow in her throat: Why was it so hard to be happy?

The purple haired girl was thrust back into reality when a gentle hand laid against her shoulder. Una's eyelids fluttered, brought back to the real world by the same frightened gaze that sent her into a frenzy. As much as she longed to be back with her son, this girl needed her now.

Force it back.

Reel it in.

Una stole a couple of deep breaths to steady herself, sending the blonde a stable nod to give a silent okay," My-," Her breath caught, cutting herself off with a terrified whisper when her eyes spotting something in the distance," Oh no! He's coming!"

She fought the urge to swear under her breath. She couldn't go anywhere without chaos following, could she? Una mentally threw together a quick distract-and-redirect strategy before turning back to the young girl," Stay down. I'm going to handle this."

"But-," Una hushed the girl with a finger to her lips, shifting her hands to give her a thumbs up. The child thankfully sensed the confidence her protector radiated and backed further into the brush.

With that out of the way, Una pushed herself to her feet and guided the girl's horse out from behind the tree. The movement seemed to gain the attention of their guest, because the blurry figure began to become clearer as he approached. The man sported a darkening purple bruise on his face, no doubt produced by the girl's escape attempt. A javelin was prepped in his hands, blood speckled on his gauntlets. He had to have at least ten years on the girl, and judging by how decorated his armor was, far more experience. He barely paid Una any attention as he trotted forward, his focus zeroed in on the animal in her possession," Where did you find that horse?"

Una shrugged, her head tilted towards the horse but her stare never leaving the man," I was on a walk when I found it. It seemed to have been abandoned," She used his silence to her advantage, taking advantage of the time to gather more information," Are you the owner?"

The man's upper lip curled up in disgust," I would never mount a creature so dainty. No, that steed belongs to-," The brunet stopped himself short, schooling his face into something nonchalant as he began again," It belongs to my master. A young girl—a street rat—stole it from me. She needs to pay the consequences for her actions."

A street rat? Una had seen many homeless children before, and the clothing the girl wore was far above the scraps she was used to seeing. She was at least from a wealthy merchant family, though her lineage was more likely in line with nobility. Her demeanor was also a dead giveaway. This girl was far from the rough and tough bunch she was used to passing by.

Una let out a neutral hum," That's unfortunate. I shall keep an eye out for her."

The cavalier finally brought his gaze down to meet Una's hard-set stare, his knuckles turning white from his grip on the weapon," Tell me this, stranger," He began, dropping down from his steed to stalk forward," Why would a wench such as yourself travel this far from Windmire?"

The eighteen year old had to bite her tongue to keep from spitting back," As I stated before, I was merely out on a walk when I spotted this animal. Now if you must excuse me, I'll be-."

She was cut off by a vice grip snatching her upper arm and yanking her so close that she could see the hairs in his nose," I find that unlikely. Now, are you going to talk now or after some convincing?"

Una grit her teeth. There was going to be no coaxing him out of this one. He outweighed her in terms of mass and he had the advantage of a mount if she tried to run. However, he hadn't even taken notice of the tome attached to her side. In fact, the concept of her challenging him at all seemed out of the question. A small smirk snuck across her lips; he underestimated her. She would have to aim for his armor with her Thoron bolt; shocking the metal would act as a conductor. She could at least immobilize him while they made their escape.

She just needed to get him off of her.

Una held her hands up in mock surrender, adding a stutter on for added affect," I-I apologize, sir. I didn't mean to offend. I'll tell you where the girl went, just don't hurt me."

"Good girl," Una fought the urge to gag at his foul smirk and equally foul belittlement. He dropped her arm, replacing it's hold with a javelin pointed at her chest. Her fingers itched for her tome," Where is the princess-."

Without warning, Una flipped her tome open and sent out a streak of Thoron powerful enough to send him flying backwards. She pursued after his body and went to shoot another spell, only for her hands to come up empty. She glanced towards the side and blanched as the last page denigrated, leaving her with the empty shell of her book. Her eyes flickered towards the man as he struggled to sit up, a string of curses accompanying him," You filthy bitch," He seethed," You'll regret that."

With the speed of a lightning bolt, the javelin once in his grasp spiraled at her. Una instinctively leaned back just in time to see it whip centimeters above her nose. She huffed out a startled breath, gaze snapping back towards her opponent.

If the javelin hadn't surprised her, the sight of the man charging her certainly did. Shit, shit, shit! They were both weaponless and both defenseless, meaning the only means of combat between them was hand to hand. The last time she tried to get in a fist fight, Frederick had her on her back in seconds. There was no way that the outcome with an opponent twice as large as her wouldn't end in the same way.

He was four feet away. Her skin tingled, nerves alighting her body as if it was shocked by an electric current. She was a goner. She was-

Two feet away. Una highly doubted ducking out of the way would work again. She should have held onto her tomb. At least then she could have thrown it at him.

One foot away. He let out an estranged battle cry. Her hands flew out in front of her.

Her breath was sucked right from her as a bolt of thoron peeled straight from her hands into the enemy's chest. His eyes popped open in shock, sputtering at the magic piercing his body. He only had time to look from the surprise defense to her face in horror before collapsing onto the ground.

Una swallowed thickly. What…the hell was that?

She turned back to the girl with the intention of consoling her, only to find her starstruck from behind her horse. Hadn't she just been on the verge of tears a second ago? Una scratched her head in confusion as the girl gushed," Wow, you are so strong! Where did you learn to do that? You took him out with one hit! It was like—Kablamo! And he was like—ahh!" The blonde giggled," I wish I was as strong as you!"

"Uh…thanks?" Una couldn't help but think back to the first time Lissa had been attacked by a risen. She was shaking like a leaf, and although she didn't cry in front of Marth, she broke down with Una later that night. To see someone so young recover so quickly was honestly jarring. If anything, Una felt as though _she _was the one that needed comforting, not the girl.

She coughed to cover her perplexed state. She could always revisit conjuring magic from nothing later. Right now, she needed her attention to be on the stranger," I apologize if I'm overstepping, but did he say you were a _princess_?"

"Yup!" She skipped forward and, instead of holding out her hand for Una to shake, encapsulated one of her hands with both of hers," My name is Princess Elise Belin of Nohr! What's yours?"

Una could only blink. This girl practically glowed with rainbows and sunshine, which would have been endearing if she wasn't so confused. Wasn't this supposed to be purgatory? Judging by the way her fingers tingled with electricity, she wasn't dead quite yet," My name is Una."

"Just Una?" Elise tipped her head," No last name?"

Shoot, she was right. Last names weren't as prominent in Ylisse and the Shepherds, only really being used when it came to marriage vows and legal paperwork. Being close with Chrom meant she never really had to choose one. The idea had slipped her mind until now," Uh…," She could always borrow Inigo's last name. She was sure he wouldn't mind," It's Zhao."

The girl froze, the fear she was starting to think she imagined back in a second," Are you Hoshidan?"

Hoshidan? What did that mean? There was no way it could be good judging by Elise's negative reaction. Una strategically shook her head," Of course not."

And just like that, Elise was back to her bubbly self," Yay! I didn't want us to be enemies; we should be friends!" Enemies? Her prediction was correct. The more time she spent her, the more confused she became," Hey, I just had an idea! Do you want to accompany back home? I don't want to get ambushed, and someone like you could protect me!" She beamed," I'll make sure father rewards you for your efforts if you do!"

Una sent a sidelong glance towards the fallen man on the ground and quickly decided that hanging around was a bad move. Besides, traveling alongside Elise might give her some insight on what was going on," Okay."

0-0-0

Elise talked her ear off the entire ride home. One minute she was going on about how she was going to learn to use staves, the next she was relaying a story about her brother wearing his clothing inside out. Her conversations bounced around just as much as her pigtails, and while it may have come across as overbearing to most people, Una thought it was cute. She didn't get to spend a lot of time around children when she was at war, so seeing someone so wide-eyed and positive was a welcome change. Once she returned to Ylisse, she would have to talk to Inigo about having children of their own.

She wondered how far Ylisse was," Hey Elise, can I ask you a question?"

"-and then I said—hmm?" The blonde trailed off in the middle of another one of her stories before chipperly replying," Sure! Is it about Jeremiah?"

"Jeremiah?" Una floundered, praying that this person wasn't someone mentioned during their ride back to Elise's home. She didn't want to crush the girl by letting her know she hadn't fully been listening.

The princess stuck her thumb behind them with a grin," The man you knocked right off his feet!"

So that was Jeremiah? She tucked that nugget of knowledge away for later," Actually, yes," Learning about Ylisse would have to wait until later. This was the first time Elise had given her an opening all day, and she was going to take advantage of that," Why exactly was he trying to kill you?"

She puffed her cheeks out, and while she tried her best not to show it, Una noticed her demeanor deflate a little," Oh, right. He's a part of the Hauteclocque House, and I guess he sided more with Lady Tilda than my mother. Not a lot of citizens know this, but our family was split in two after the execution. Half of them sided with Camilla and Lady Tilda, and the other half sided with me and my mother," The blonde sniffled," I always thought that Jeremiah was my friend."

Una dropped her eyes onto the beat down path they trotted on," I apologize, Elise. I should not have pried," Interrogating a twelve year old turned out not to be the best plan, and she needed to seriously backpaddle if she was going to keep this trek from becoming awkward," It is not my place to say, but someone like Jeremiah does not deserve a friend like you."

"Yeah," She wiped her nose with her sleeve," I guess he was a crummy retainer for doing that."

"That's what I—Hold on, did you say he was your retainer?!" Oh no, now Una was furious. That man had sworn his life to protect her, only to turn around and try to kill her! She could only imagine the turmoil Chrom and Lissa would go through if Frederick betrayed them," Forgive me if I am overstepping, but you are in desperate need of a new, _much better_ retainer."

Elise fell silent for a few seconds before perking up like a daisy," I know! How about you become my retainer?"

The purple haired girl blanched. That was not at all what she was implying, but now that the princess requested it, was she allowed to turn it down? She didn't know this new world she was in yet, and she really wanted to get back to Ylisse. Yet, if she didn't say yes, Elise would probably burst into tears," Let me think about it?"

0-0-0

When thinking about Windmire, Una had pictured a lush city booming with activity similar to Ylisstol. Elise had informed her that it was the capital of Nohr, after all, so it was only natural that it stands as an opposition to the dry lands they had been trekking on the last hour. According to the princess, they would be residing in Clarkenstein until Una decided whether or not she wanted to take Elise's offer. The villa was where the royals stayed instead of Castle Krakenburg due to her father's wishes, so Elise assured her she wouldn't feel intimidated. Why intimidation came up, Una didn't know.

This thought was further cemented when they arrived at Windmire, only to find the city nestled in a crater in the ground. Una stiffened as she glanced down, paling at how steep the drop was. How could thousands of people live somewhere where one misstep could leave you hurtling to your death? Ylisstol had been so friendly and open; what kind of place did that make Nohr?

As soon as they trotted into the heart of the city where Clarkenstein resided, they were accosted by a young blond man. Una gave him a look over as she hopped off the horse, surprised to find someone so young dressed head to toe in ornate armor," Elise! Where have you been?" He chided, though Una spotted him sneak his tome back into its halter.

"Leo!" The twelve year old dove forward, tackling him with enough force to make him stumble back. He groaned as she tightened her hold around his waist, but eventually moved his hand up to pat her head begrudgingly," You wouldn't believe what happened! Jeremiah—he tried to kill me!" She pulled her head out, revealing a small indent where her forehead had been pressed against his armor," I was so scared! I would have been toast if Una hadn't stepped in and saved me."

The fifteen year old's eyes finally slid up from the Princess to make contact with the stranger she had brought along," You rescued my sister?"

So Leo is her brother? She felt herself stiffen; that meant he was a prince. Just her luck that she'd run into two royals in the span of a couple hours. She was starting to believe meeting royals after waking up in a field was her special talent. Una opened her mouth to reply, but Elise beat her to it," Yup! You should have seen her! Now that Jeremiah is gone, I'm gonna make her my new retainer! I just know that she and Kostas will get along!"

Una huffed out a sigh before reaching her hand out towards Leo. The twelve year old had already told both the guards and one of the maids they passed that Una was going to take up Jeremiah's mantel, and she was frankly growing tired of explaining herself. She decided that starting off with introductions would be a much better tactic," I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Una Zhao-."

"She's not Hoshidan," Elise cut in," I already asked."

The purple haired girl sent the Princess one last warning look before blurting out as fast as possible," I helped your sister and she offered me a place to stay for the night so here I am and no, I am not her retainer though I am honored that she offered me the position," She took a deep breath before sending him a warm smile," It's nice to meet you."

Leo only eyed her outstretched hand, instead using the opportunity to push his little sister away," Thank you on behalf of the Belin Family. If Elise promised you shelter for the night, the least we can do is arrange for a room in exchange for your services today. I'll send someone to help you," With that said, he lightly bumped into Elise," We should tell Xander that you're okay. Kostas was found in critical condition just a few minutes prior. He was the one that warned us that Jeremiah was planning the attack."

Una watched Elise's face fall, the usual spark in her eyes dulling as she processed the news," Is he going to be okay?"

Her older brother stiffened, obviously uncomfortable with the weighty emotions stifling the room," Yes. Kostas was only beaten because he was caught off guard. Olga is with him as we speak," Leo awkwardly placed a hand on the top of her head, his voice low as he uttered," Would you like to visit him?"

Even though she had only really known the girl for about an hour, the silence following the news felt much heavier when it came from Elise. She stared straight ahead, her watery irises trained on a nook in the wall," B-But why would he hurt Kostas and I? Mother did all those things, not m-me. That's what you said."

Leo went stiff at the mention of their mother," You are not responsible for Lady Trinette's actions."

Lady Trinette? If she was Elise's mother, didn't that also make her Leo's? Una furrowed her brow as the exchange played out. What kind of place had she ended up in?

The princess sniffled," I-I don't understand. I-If it's not my fault, then w-why do they want to hurt me?"

"…Let's go find Xander," Leo quietly held his hand out for Elise to take. She did, but with much less vigor than earlier. Kostas must have been someone important to her, because Jeremiah's betrayal earlier didn't hit as hard. Before they left the stable, he uttered a soft," Someone will come for you. Until then, make yourself at home."

Una could only watch in shock as the pair of children left.

0-0-0

True to Leo's word, a maid named Simone came and fetched her shortly after the siblings left. She was a bright, green haired girl that could not have been much older than Elise. She didn't chatter as much as said girl, but she kept a healthy one sided conversation going as she lead the tactician through the halls of her villa. They eventually ended up in a small room towards the end with a comfortable looking bed and a small bath Una eyed longingly.

Simone seemed to be on the same page, because she was pushing assorted blue fabrics into her hands and turning the faucet on in unison," You're absolutely filthy! No way can we present you to the court like this! How are you supposed to become Lady Elise's retainer if you're dressed like a prostitute?"

Una unconsciously pulled her short, dark flier skirt down a little lower," Wait, who told you I was going to become Elise's retainer?"

"Lady Elise, of course!" The maid giggled," It was one of the first things she said to me when we ran into each other."

She puffed her cheeks out; At least the Princess was recovering fast," I see. Well, I should tell you that I haven't decided-."

"Ooh, the bath's the right temperature!" Una let out a small shriek as the maid spun her around to undue the buttons on her back," Oh, stop fussing! There's nothing you have that I haven't seen before."

"I-I can undress—hey!" Una quickly crossed her arms over her chest to keep her dress from draping onto the floor. In all her years living with Chrom and Lissa, never once had she seen a maid be so pushy," I can undress myself, thank you very much!"

The green haired girl simply rolled her eyes," For a prostitute, you sure are self-conscious."

Her ears heated up," I am not a prostitute, and I can bathe myself," Una waved her towards the exit," How about this? I'll come get you if I need anything. Go enjoy yourself," When Simone didn't budge, she shifted her fingers to point towards the exit," I'm serious."

The last thing she expected to see was the girl tip her head in curiosity," Your ears…why are they shaped like that?"

Una's hands self-consciously flitted up to cover the accused subjects. This girl really didn't have any limits, did she? First she criticized her clothing, now she was coming after her ears? The purple haired girl dropped one of her arms to wave to maid off," I'll fetch you if I need you, okay? Take a break."

The young girl finally held her hands up in defeat," Alright, but when you have trouble with your petticoat, don't come crying for me!"

Una didn't move a muscle until the door shut with a click, a grumble sneaking from her lips as Simone's footsteps faded down the hall," Psh. What a brat," She stripped her dress from her form and slipped into the bath with a satisfied hum. Who did that girl think she was anyway? Una pouted," My ears aren't odd. They're-."

A startled yelp sprung from Una's lips when she caught her reflection in the water. Yes, her purple hair and features were just as she had left them in Ylisse, but sticking out from behind her wet locks were a pair of pointed ears. She gingerly reached up to touch them, flinching as they fluttered underneath her fingertips," How is this even…," Her words fumbled in her throat when one last surprise caught her attention," Oh my…," She squeezed her eyes shut for several seconds before forcing them open again with a whine," Naga, what happened to me?"

Staring back at her from her reflection were a pair of piercing, yellow eyes.

0-0-0

Simone ended up picking a powder blue blouse for her to wear, layered with a navy vest on top. The skirt she picked for her was a lot longer and wider than what she was used to—hell, to Ylissian standards it was conservative-but Una didn't want to be mistaken for a wench anymore. At least the fabric was pretty; the navy base with thin, silver lines admittedly made her look taller. With her knee high brown boots traded out for a black pair of ankle booties, Simone finally deemed her presentable enough to go. Before she left, Una tactfully hid her new ears underneath her purple bob.

Now that she was washed and dressed, Una took it upon herself to take in her surroundings. The courtyard was the only place in sight that had a lawn, though standing on it made Una feel a little guilty. She highly doubted that anyone in Windmire was allowed in Clarkenstein, meaning that all they were used to was the dust beaten fields she had woken up in. She cringed; Even Plegia, a desert, seemed to have more life than Nohr.

Una had just wandered up to one of the lone trees on property, pressing her palm against the rough bark. She could feel a light course of magic pulse through its wavy pattern. She should have known that the tree couldn't support itself. Clarkenstein may have given off an air of luxury, but the air was just as stale as it had been in the dust.

"So_ you're_ Lady Elise's new retainer?"

The purple haired girl spun around herself to confront the man who snuck up, only to come up empty. She flipped back to her original position and came to the same conclusion. She heard a low sigh before the man hinted," Up here."

She tipped her head up, finding a white haired man situated in the crook between the trunk and one of the bigger branches. His tan skin stood out starkly from his snowy locks, though the eyepatch streaking across his face was what really grabbed her attention. The man barely paid her any attention as she observed him, instead focused on twirling an arrow between his fingers," Really? She told you too?" Una pouted," Does everyone know?"

"Not everyone," The archer replied lazily," Lord Leo informed me that you were the one that brought Lady Elise back safely. Apparently you were just waiting in the fields and happened to save her from Jeremiah," His good eye flickered down to glare at hers," I don't buy that, so I came to check you out for myself."

Una opened her mouth to defend herself, but fell short. Jeremiah had the same reaction when she told him she had gone out for a walk. Was it really that uncommon for people to wander around Nohr without reason? There wasn't anything appealing about the hordes of dead grass, but people must travel from time to time. How else would they get around? She dug through her brain for an excuse, but this man looked ready to jump on her shortcomings. One wrong move, and that arrow might be through her chest. She had to put off this conversation until she at least had more information," I feel like we're getting off on the wrong foot," The purple haired girl started off slowly," My name is Una Zhao."

He tipped his head," You Hoshidan?"

"No," Una clapped her hands behind her back to hide how fidgety she had just become," I'm from Ylisse."

"Never heard of it."

"Never-," It took every fiber of her being to keep her eyes from popping out of her head. What did he mean, he's never heard of it?! Her voice cracked as it came out," I guess it's pretty far from here."

The archer scoffed, pushing himself off the tree to nimbly land in front of her. Once he stood at full height, he had at least a head on her," What did you say your name was again?"

She did her best not to back down," Una."

This time when she answered, something in the air shifted. The white haired man held his arrow up so that the point was just underneath her chin, using it to tip her head up," Well isn't this a surprise. You're the girl Laslow's been dreaming about."

Una could only blink. Laslow? Who was Laslow? More importantly, why was he dreaming about _her_? She wanted to say she didn't understand, but quickly rethought her approach. This was the least hostile his tone had been towards her since they met, and she didn't want to say the wrong thing with the tip of his arrow so close to her neck," That's me."

She choked when she felt the sharp edge dig into her skin," You're the girl that's been tormenting him."

What?! First she was in his dreams, now she was tormenting him?! Una wished her tome hadn't disintegrated after one use, because getting pushed around by this guy was definitely humiliating. She stretched her hands to try and reconjure the miracle magic from earlier, but the only product was the sound of her knuckles cracking.

"Now Niles, leave the poor girl alone," A silky voice cut in. Her opponent, Niles, gave her one last glare before retreating back to lean against his tree. Una swallowed, her hand absently tracing the light spot of blood on her neck. Why wasn't her magic working now? She had to get a tome on her, and fast," Aww, poor thing," Una barely had time to recover before a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her torso," Was Niles bullying you?"

"No, I'm fine," She wheezed as the hug suffocated her," Thank you."

"Be careful there, Lady Camilla," Niles slid his arrow back into its holster," You're fraternizing with your cousin's new retainer."

Una felt the woman, Camilla, freeze before letting her go. The tactician stumbled a bit out of the grasp, wracking her head for why that name sounded so familiar. Camilla…Camilla…She scanned the young woman in front of her, taking in her long purple locks and shoulderless dress. If Elise was a few years younger and lacked blonde hair, she would look exactly like-

_"Not a lot of citizens know this, but our family was split in two after the execution. Half of them sided with Camilla and Lady Tilda, and the other half sided with me and my mother."_

Oh gods. Camilla was Elise's rival.

She suddenly felt being in a room of Grimleal would make her safer than how she felt right now," U-Uh, well it was nice to meet you both, but I should get going. Have a lovely day!"

Una could not get out of that field sooner.

0-0-0

By the end of the day, Una was exhausted. She spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding pretty much everybody until she ran into Elise once more. The girl seemed much perkier when they reunited, and seeing the blonde was the only one not suspicious of her, Una deemed it much safer to be in her presence. She sat in on Elise's violin lesson, ate dinner with her, and learned a new board game before Simone returned and insisted the Princess get some sleep.

She strolled down the maze of halls, the weight of the day's events finally taking a tax on her. How did she even end up in a place like this? Nohr was nothing like Ylisse, and to make matters worse, she didn't know how to get home. Her throat caught; could she even go home? Was this the gods' judgement on her?

And poor Elise. She had barely spent an entire day with her, and the princess was already growing attached. Hell, she was already telling whoever she could that Una was her new retainer. Earning a title like that was nothing short of an honor, but Una didn't have the heart to take it.

She needed to leave, no matter how much she needed to be in Nohr. Ylisse needed her more; Chrom and Lissa were probably worried sick, and Morgan needed a mother to guide him through his new world. And Inigo…

She brought a fist to her lips. The thought of never seeing her son again had been nothing short of unfathomable. Being forever separated from Inigo was unbearable. She wanted—no, she needed to stay strong for him. He promised to wait for her; the least she could do was refuse to give up hope.

Una shook the tears from the corner of her eyes, resolve deep in her heart. She would have to tell Elise the news tomorrow and leave for Ylisse. She wasn't sure how long it would take her to get there or if she would even make it, but she needed to _try_.

The purpled haired girl sighed, stopping her walk to press her forehead against the stone windowpane. She would have to return the clothes Simone lent her, thank Elise and Leo for their hospitality, and try and find some source of information that could lead her back to-

"It's about time you learned some new steps!"

Una blinked.

It…It couldn't be.

She yanked her head away from the wall to search out the window, only to find herself facing a practice field riddled with soldiers. Most of them were packing up for the night, but if she ran quickly enough-

Una didn't give hesitation a second thought and took off down the stairs, skirting down the halls to try and find the exit. She nearly ran over a girl with light blue hair, sending back a quick apology before speeding away. She was only able to place her surroundings when a group of soldiers walked past from her left, all chatting about sparring. They had to be coming from the field! She sent a glance behind them, a small whine coming out when she realized how long the hallway was. Of course it wasn't easy; nothing today was giving her break.

The tactician rubbed her sore side before tracking down their trail, her heels clacking against the stone floor. Every time she passed a window, she would send a quick peek to make sure she was headed in the right direction. She nearly cried in relief when, at last, she found a door. Una pushed it open and tore into the field, navigating the assorted soldiers for a familiar head of brown hair and cheeky smile. She _swore_ she heard his voice. He _had_ to be here. He just…

Una's body deflated as the last of the warriors tapered off, leaving only a small group of soldiers situated in the corner. She peered over at them, knowing the result but hoping just the same. One girl, one blond, and one gray haired man. No brunets. Her legs gave out on their own, unresponsive as her back slid down the trunk of the tree.

How could she be so stupid? Of course Inigo wasn't here. That man from earlier, Niles, was so quick to say he hadn't heard of Ylisse. Besides, it had only been one day since the final battle with Grima. Even with Naga's help, Inigo couldn't travel that fast. How could she have allowed herself to humor the idea that he could be by her side again? She was an idiot. After everything her father—hell, everything the other version of herself had done—she deserved this. If being trapped in Nohr was her sentence, then she was just going to have to live it out. Una dropped her head into her hands, her throat restricting to try and keep the tears at bay.

She vaguely processed the grass crunching under the feet of the final group as they took their leave, voices heavy from training," What a splendid day!" A bombastic man declared," Lady Luck is on my side for a change!"

"You should jump on that!" The woman giggled, something almost childlike about her tone," Haven't you heard? Jeremiah is on the chopper's block! You could become Lady Elise's new retainer!"

"There's a rumor she already has a new retainer," The man replied, though he seemed intrigued by her suggestion," Simone told me that the woman served justice and defeated Jeremiah with one blow!"

Even from behind her hands, Una suppressed a groan. Now Simone was on it? By the end of the day, everyone would know she was offered the position.

The woman scoffed," If you don't want the competition, just find the room she's staying in and kill her in her sleep! Right, Las-," Her voice cut off," Oh goodie. He's found another girl."

Una shifted her knees a little closer, though she knew the act to make herself smaller wasn't going to make her disappear. The last thing she wanted right now was to talk to someone, especially since at least two of them viewed her as competition. There were few conversations that happened that day that didn't end with a weapon pointed at her neck.

"You go on ahead," The third man replied briskly," I'll meet you inside."

The first person, Arthur, snorted," Going to strike out again, Laslow?"

Laslow? Wasn't that the name Niles mentioned earlier? Una quietly spread her fingers apart get a blurry peep at the group in front of her. Arthur must have been the blond, which meant the gray haired man was Laslow," What? There's nothing wrong with comforting a distressed maiden!"

…Wait a minute. That voice sounded familiar.

"Uh huh. _Comforting_," The blue and pink haired woman pouted," I'll tell Lord Xander if you don't leave her alone!"

"I'm only going to bother her for a second," He assured airily," Nothing ails me more than the sight of a wounded lady," His two friends shared an unimpressed look before deciding he was a lost cause and bidding him goodbye. Laslow waited until his two friends faded into the distance to turn around, Una's fingers snapping shut in time to hide the fact she had been eavesdropping.

She didn't have much time to think up an excuse, because she felt his warm hands encapsulate her wrists and gently guide her hands away from her face," There's no need to cry anymore," Her eyes widened, the voice much clearer now that it was right in front of her," You're safe now," Una let him take her hands, watching as he curled them around to place a soft kiss on her knuckles. It couldn't be. The hair was different, the build was different, and even the accent was different. How could something be so contradictory, but so familiar at the same time? Her breath caught when he brought his irises up to meet hers," How about a smile?"

The moment their eyes met, Laslow's cheery demeanor vanished, replaced with complete and utter disbelief. One of his hands was cupping her cheek in a second, rubbing small circles on her temple as his eyes danced over every inch of her face. She watched his lip begin to wobble, almost as if seeing her was too much to handle,"…Inigo?"

Laslow choked out a small laugh, tears streaming out with the joyful noise," Una? You—You're here. You're _really_ here," His other hand bounced up in a flash, holding her entire head in his grasp. That only lasted for a second, though, because he finally gained the composure to pull her into a crushing hug," I thought I was never going to see you again!"

She tightened her fists into the fabric of his quilted tunic, relief pouring in like floodgates. He was here! Her Inigo, who she was starting to think she lost forever, was holding her in his arms just like he used to do. Una sniffed, wanting to say everything and not knowing what to say all at once. Hell, what could she say after she just sacrificed herself to the god of death and made everyone think she was dead? She floundered," Your hair is gray."

"And yours is still purple," He chuckled, absently weaving one of his hands through the very locks he was talking about," I'm envious he let you keep that."

"Well, my eyes are yellow now so…," Within a second, all the confusion and anxiety bottled up from today flooded back to the surface. She gently pushed Laslow away, searching his face for some kind of explanation," Inigo? What's going on?"

Laslow's relief slowly melted to match hers, the only difference was his very visible concern," Don't you remember?"

Remember what? Una was starting to get Deja vu. Yes, she had woken up in a field again, but her memories were still intact…at least, she was pretty sure they were. All she knew was that Inigo used to have brown hair and a youthful energy; the sight of him was something she had burned into her consciousness a long time ago," Why don't you look like yourself?"

He blinked, his face riddled as he took in her question," He did that to all of us when he told us what we had to do. Right after we left-," She shook her head, only adding to Laslow's nerves," Oh gods, he didn't tell you anything, did he? That dastard," The gray haired man huffed from underneath his breath," Alright, listen to me Una. I will explain everything, but I can't do it here."

"Why not?" Una's face crumpled," I don't understand-."

"Oh, Laslow!" The dancer practically soared away when his friend skipped back into view, looking oddly pleased with herself for intervening," Lord Xander wants to speak with you!"

Laslow's face became incredulous," Peri, _you actually told on me_?!"

The cavalier, Peri, shrugged as innocently as she could with her devil-may-care expression," What? You know what he said about flirting."

"I'm off the clock!" He whined, the very sound bringing a surge of warmth to Una's chest. Never in a million years did she think she'd miss his immature complaining," You cannot be serious."

Peri met his stare challengingly," Do you want me to get him?"

His irises flickered briefly with fear before he sighed in defeat," Go ahead, I'll catch up-."

"You said that last time-."

"Well, I mean it this time," Laslow waved her off impatiently," Now shoo," Peri was much more hesitant to leave the second go around, but eventually tapered off smugly. Laslow didn't wait as long as he did the first time, taking both of Una's hands to heave her onto her feet the moment Peri's back was turned," Where are you staying?"

"The guest room," The purple haired girl sputtered," I'm not sure which one, but-."

"That's alright, I'll find you," He pressed a brief kiss against her forehead. Her chest warmed at the action," Wait outside your room after midnight. I will meet you there and explain everything," Laslow softened," Do you trust me?"

As overwhelming as this all was, Una never felt more resolute than when she replied," Of course I do."

"Good," With one last peck onto her cheek, Laslow was on his feet," Wait for me there, Una."

"I will."

* * *

**Haha, lots of questions and very few answers! So Una is in Nohr now! How did that happen? If she didn't travel over with Laslow (and Odin and Selena, of course), how did she get there? Why does she look different? Let's start from the beginning, shall we? Elise is here! Elise is definitely one of my favorite characters in Fates, and I always found it so weird that her other siblings got an Awakening Retainer but she didn't. No worries! Arthur and Effie are coming eventually. This story sort of picks up about three years before the actual events of Fates, so we've got time for them to come in. For now, Elise has (or more accurately, had) Jeremiah and Kostas. This is where things get a little confusing. If you read the first draft of this story, you're probably thinking," Wait. Isn't Kostas the bad guy?" I'm not confirming or denying anything, but he is playing a MUCH bigger role in the story this go round. Jeremiah is kind of his fill in for his original role. The game mentions some serious family politics between the Belins (Garon and his children), so I wanted to delve into that a little bit. So far we've met Elise, Leo, and Camilla (briefly). I gave some hints here and there about what their relationships to each other are, but they're not super friendly with each other yet. Oh, and the whole in-joke with Elise telling everyone Una is her new retainer is my favorite running gag of the chapter. Simone is my first added character! Jeremiah isn't super important to the plot, but Simone is here to stay. As I mentioned before, Kostas is the other new player in this story. I wanted to address the style change of Nohr in comparison to Ylisse where I feel fashion is a bit more conservative (except for armor, I guess). So short-skirt-Una is going to have a hard time adjusting to that. Just wait until she learns there are no Pegasuses in Nohr, lol. Also, why does Una have manakete ears? This goes back into me changing the plot that I mentioned before the chapter. I can't really get in my head to think of what role I wanted Una to play a year ago, but I feel that this version will make a lot more sense. However, that's a big ole' spoiler! Niles plays a surprisingly big role in this story, and I think that will become more evident the further in we get. Don't worry; he's not the bad guy. He's just one of the many wary people Una will have to work on. We got a short mention for Arthur and Peri, but we all know the star of the last part was Laslow! His reaction may have been a bit confusing to Una, but since the next chapter is going to be entirely in his perspective, we're going to get a lot of insight to his motivations. **

**This is all super new and probably not what you expected right off the bat, so I'd love to hear what you guys think so far! I'm purposely leaving a few things vague because this is Una's perspective we're in right now. She has no clue what's going on. Also, unimportant note, but I'm naming my chapters now! Yay! It was a fun thing I wish I had done with Glib Banter. I have re-edited chapters 1-5 and am posting them all at once, so you'll get to relook at how things have changed. I don't know what my posting schedule will be or even if I'll be able to kick myself out of writers block, but I have a good feeling about this. Wish me luck! **

**-Uprisingdragon**


	2. Chapter 2: Inigo

**Hey guys! Let's do a little recap out of comfort! Once I start not posting in bulk, this will become normal. So, Una sacrificed herself to put a permanent end to Grima. This lead to her waking up in Nohr, of all places, and saving Elise. Elise brings her back to Clarkenstein and heavily hints she wants Una to become her new retainer, something Una isn't so sure about. There is some underlying tension going around the castle, and it puts Una on edge. But, low and behold, she runs into the love of her life, Inigo! He looks different and goes by Laslow, but he promised her he'd explain it before being forced to leave. **

**So, are you ready for part of that explanation? **

* * *

_4 years prior_

It had been ten months since Una's disappearance.

Chrom, Lissa, and many other Shepherds were still on the search for their missing tactician. There was a march every week under the guise of a standard patrol, since the council had long since given up supporting search parties. They mainly stuck to looking through the fields and forests of Ylisse, but the neighboring countries sent updates whenever they could. Flavia and Basilio were adamant that Una return home, so all soldiers were told to keep an eye out for the purple haired girl. Say'ri, newly elected to run the majority of Valm, held a similar policy. Even Plegia, under the leadership of Lissa and Henry, was pitching in to help.

None looked as hard as Inigo and Morgan. The two were dead set on finding the missing link to their family, leading to countless cross-country trips and several sleepless nights. Despite all their hard work, every trail they came up with ran dry. Morgan had an easier time searching through Regna-Ferox's libraries for clues, but Inigo was starting to go insane. Being around that many books only reminded him of Una, which made him ache for her more. Being on patrols surrounded by her closest friends just made him feel like something was missing. It was starting to become a lose-lose situation.

The mercenary practically collapsed into his and Morgan's shared home after returning from another failed hunt. This one had been particularly hard, with Maribelle breaking down at the end. She was inconsolable as she sobbed Una was never coming back. Maribelle wasn't the first to give up hope, not by a long shot. More than half the Shepherds had made peace with what happened to Una, something that initially filled Inigo with rage. How could they give up on her so soon into their search? However, the longer she was gone, the more that anger shifted into anxiety. What if they had a point? What if she never came back?

Inigo grimaced against the fabric of the couch he was currently nestled into. He couldn't afford to think things like that. He promised to wait for her, and he wasn't a man to break promises.

"Uh…dad?" He shifted his head to the side, his entire face heating up with embarrassment when he realized he had company. Morgan was practically bouncing on his heels behind Olivia and a familiar gray haired man next to her," Look who came to visit!"

Inigo swallowed the heaviness in his throat to place a smile on for his mother and uncle," What a nice surprise! I apologize for…," He bashfully pushed himself up, knowing he probably smelled horrible from his last march and looked like he ran through a horde of risen," Well, I wasn't expecting you. Is father here as well?"

"Lon'qu stayed back with Ini," Olivia giggled," He was feeling a little under the weather and your father wanted to keep an eye on him."

"I see," Inigo always felt a little weird when the younger version of himself was brought up. Una was right when she said his parents wouldn't abandon him, but he was unprepared for the extent they were willing to go. While Inigo had already been born in this world and his name could not be changed, they began referring to him as "Ini" to keep from confusion. Inigo didn't really know how to act around Ini, especially now that they were going to grow up to be two completely different people.

"I came along instead," Inigo felt the small bit of awkwardness nestled in his chest melt away at the sound of his Uncle Las's voice. Las was a few years younger than Olivia, fresh out of university with high marks in sorcery. Inigo had no idea he had an Uncle until he returned to Regna Ferox, shocked to find a gray haired man sporting similar features to his mother waiting for them with open arms. He was the opposite of shy, taking immediately to his nephew and accepting the time travel explanation with a surprising amount of ease.

Olivia was adamant that Las help them find Una, saying ancient magic was his specialty. Las initially stated that if she disappeared, she probably didn't want to be found. It wasn't until they mentioned Naga's involvement that he was all in. Las shared an eagerness similar to Morgan's, and promised as soon as they found Una, he would help him remember where he came from. To say Las was popular with the Zhao boys would be an understatement.

Morgan continued to bounce up and down in anticipation until blurting," Las has a lead!"

"Really?" Inigo leaned in closer. He pushed the part of him that screamed for rest away, ready to take anything his Uncle could give him," What is it?"

"Las and I were speaking a few weeks ago about any strange occurrences that may have happened during the Valmese war," Olivia started, her timid nature completely gone in the comfort of her family," I mentioned that you and your friends all arrived in our Halidom a few years prior the war, but then it occurred to me that it wasn't true."

Morgan frowned in confusion," What do you mean? Was someone lying? I was the last person to join the cause, so we would have known if-," His voice trailed off when he caught Olivia and Las's pointed looks," Oh, you're talking about me!" Las opened his mouth to continue, but his grand-nephew was already on a roll," Why didn't I think about that? Different portal, different world," Morgan pounded his fist into his open hand," I bet that's where mother went!"

"It's a possibility," Las offered, a silver strand slipping from his ponytail in masked excitement. He never said it outright, but the chase of finding Una thrilled him immensely," With this in mind, I did a little research. It turns out there was another occurrence about four years ago where the portal opened, and ever since they've been popping up all over the Halidom."

"Chrom mentioned that he had fought those monsters before," Inigo added, causing his Uncle's smile to widen," He said they were invisible warthogs."

Morgan blew a tuft of hair from his face," Well, Uncle Chrom isn't the brightest star in the sky. They were probably the same thing," The implications of his father's statement only hit him then, because his eyes went a little blank," Hold on, are you saying that there are several portals to the world I'm from?"

Las nodded," Not only am I saying that, but I've been tracking how they occur. One opened recently on the coast of Valm, and the only hint of the attack was a man with blue hair saying he was searching for someone."

Inigo felt the air get sucked out from him," Who was he searching for?"

His uncle grinned," The Fell Blood."

0-0-0

_"Inigo?"_

_ The air was hot. The sky was red. The floor rocked up and down, almost as if he was on a boat in the ocean. Inigo didn't have to look down to know he was on no boat; it was Grima. He was back. _

_ Inigo frantically looked around, his eyes landing on a petite girl in the distance. She was facing the opposite direction, but he could spot her signature purple bob anywhere," Una!" He took off without a second thought, his feet scraping against the scales of the dragon. One second he was miles away, the next he had her in his arms," Una, don't go. Please, don't go!"_

_ "Inigo, you're too late," Her voice came out watery," Why didn't you stop me?"_

_ "I didn't—I didn't know! Una, please, you have to believe me," He begged, holding her as close as possible. He knew it was obsolete, but he felt like if he held onto her as tight as possible, she wouldn't fade away. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he stumbled over his own apologies," I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, please stay with me! I need you." _

_ "Inigo," He choked, watching in anticipation as she began to turn around," I'm already gone."_

_ With one blink, all he was left with was air. Inigo felt his breath quicken, his arms waving around to try to find her once more," No, no, no…no!" His legs gave out, forcing his body into a pile of dust. He shakily pushed himself up, only to find locks of purple hair scattered across the pile," Oh gods, no. Una, no!" He stumbled back, his throat dry from emotion. He coughed, but teared up in horror when a cloud of dust came from his mouth," N-No! Please, no!" His coughs became more fervent, surrounding him in a cloud of remains. Every time he breathed, he felt like his chest was on fire," Una, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm-."_

Inigo shot awake, his heart thundering in his chest as he hacked. The cloud of soot surrounding him slowly faded from his vision, replaced by his dark house. It was just a dream. His hand scrambled for the glass of water by his side, hiccupping when he came up empty. The brunet slid his feet over the side of his bed, only realizing once a book hit the floor that he wasn't in his bedroom. He must have fallen asleep while doing research, and his aching back confirmed this. Morgan was going to have a field day berating him tomorrow for dozing off on the couch again.

The mercenary stumbled from his spot to the water pitcher, drinking straight from it to soothe his dry throat. He would have normally grabbed a glass, but he was too scattered to think straight. Una would have laughed at him for doing so.

Una…Inigo gently reached up to his cheeks, flinching when his fingers made contact with the wet skin. Dammit, he had cried in his sleep again. He wasn't even able to see her face in his dream, and he was still rendered to a pathetic mess. She wouldn't want to see him like this. She looked to him to be strong, and if she knew he couldn't face his own nightmares…

Inigo inhaled deeply, finally able to ground himself. He should have ignored Morgan when he told him to get some sleep. His son was insistent that if he was going on another patrol, he rest up for it. Then again, Morgan was oblivious to the fact that Inigo's nightmares were getting worse. At least when he passed out, he didn't have dreams.

With a small sigh, the brunet shuffled back onto the couch. He relit one of the candles, picked up the book, and re-immersed himself in the script to distract from the horrors he had just lived.

0-0-0

"Inigo?" The brunet's gaze flickered from the tree in front of him to Owain, who was eyeing him with wary concern," Are you sure you're alright?"

Inigo managed a small nod, though he knew the act came across hollow. He hadn't been to Valm since the war, and standing in front of the Mila Tree filled him with a melancholy he wasn't prepared for. He felt his stare trail off into the distance, curious if a certain quarry was still there.

_"But never mind that! I think you've grown into a wonderful young man. You're very skilled on the battlefield, you're brave, and best of all, you're kind," Una gently coaxed him into facing her and squeezed his forearms supportively," I'm not disappointed at all. If anything, I'm proud."_

Inigo cleared his throat, averting his eyes to keep from getting distracted," I'm fine. Just reminiscing, that's all! Has Noire returned from asking around the village yet?"

Owain shook his head, though the dopey smile present on his face at the mention of her name made Inigo crack a grin," My goddess of beauty should make her presence any moment now! I wait with baited breath until that time arrives."

The mercenary only rolled his eyes fondly. Post-War life was revealing a lot of new things about the Shepherds, but arguably the one no one was prepared for was Owain and Noire's budding relationship. Inigo had his suspicions from the moment he praised her baking skills, but the engagement came much quicker than he predicted. If Owain had been born into any other family, Noire would have brought many hesitations. However, seeing that the borderline insane Henry and all-accepting Lissa were his parents, Noire was having no trouble fitting in. At this point, everyone was just waiting for them to tie the knot.

Inigo was about to suggest they go after her when a new voice cut through the air," I recognize you."

The brunet exchanged a confused look with Owain before turning to face the new man. He wore a white robe, the hood just large enough to cast his face in a shadow. The only trace of him being human at all was the braid of blue hair slipping out and his piercing, yellow eyes. Inigo swallowed, his hand slowly sliding to rest on the hilt of his sword. Some of Walhart's extremists still lingered, even nearly a year after the war. If this was a surprise attack, he didn't want to be caught off guard," What do you mean, sir?"

Just underneath the shadow of his eyes, a smirk crawled across his face," She thinks about you. I have heard it," The man stepped forward, chuckling when the two boys countered back," Now that I see you, I must say I do not understand her pining. Someone as powerful as her is above a mortal such as yourself."

His throat tightened in unison with his grip on his weapon. This definitely wasn't a simple soldier," Who?"

"The Fell Blood, of course."

"Una," He muttered, disbelief flooding his system. This man, whoever he was, knew something about Una. Whether that was where she was or a hint to where she might be, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that the rush of emotions bombarding him at the moment was too overwhelming to process, so he grappled for what little levity he could ," Her name is Una."

His nostrils flared when the stranger absently waved his hand," It is of little matter to you anymore. She is long gone now."

Inigo's heart stumbled at the implications of that. It took nearly all his willpower to keep his voice steady," Where is she?"

The man gave him a look over, his smirk morphing into a smug leer," I fail to see why her disappearance impacts you. She is just one girl in a million, is she not? A philanderer such as yourself should have no trouble moving on."

"I'm not like that-," Inigo seized in fear as the man began to walk away, stumbling forward to catch his forearm," Hold on, I'm not done with you. I asked you a question, and I—I need you to answer it. Is she safe? Can you bring her back?"

The man eyed Inigo's grip on him as it were a fly intruding his space," I do not like to repeat myself. The Fell Blood is gone, and it is unlikely that she will ever return," The stranger yanked himself away in one smooth motion, his yellow irises gleaming darkly," Fate does not give out second chances, boy. If you wished for the Fell Blood to stay, you should have stopped her when given the chance," His smirk returned as Inigo stumbled back, his eyes wide with horror," She gave you ample opportunity, did she not? One does not make one promise to wait for her with the intention of returning-."

And just like that, all hell broke loose for Inigo. He lunged forward, only to get jolted back by Owain. His friend forced his arms underneath Inigo's shoulders, pinning his back to his chest," Stand down, Inigo!" He gritted through his teeth, having a much harder time keeping Inigo still than anticipated," We don't know what we're dealing with here."

The dancer heaved as he regained his bearings, his stare laser focused on the man in front of them. There was no way he could have known that. Nobody knew that. He was too ashamed to tell anyone aside from hinting at it to Lissa, and that was only because of their shared grief. Nobody would be able to look at him the same way if they discovered he could have prevented her sacrifice.

"Your past speaks for itself, but your actions now intrigue me," He observed, though there was a shift in his tone," Just how far would you go for her?"

"Anywhere," The words were out of Inigo's mouth before he could even process them," I would go to the end of the universe if possible. I just-," He huffed, trying to keep resolute and prevent his exhaustion from showing," I just want to see her again."

The rustle of fabric moving brought Inigo back to reality, watching as the man in front of them lowered his hood. His long blue hair and piercing yellow eyes were now accompanied by a thin, black crown suited atop his head. Just underneath was a pair of pointed ears, similar to the ancient dragons Inigo read about when he was younger. Could this be…

"Your fervor amuses me, Inigo," Said boy grimaced. Something about this strange man knowing his name now did not sit well with him," I cannot return her to Ylisse. She has already been placed where she is needed," Whether it was the weight of his statement or his approaching figure he didn't know, but Inigo was able to break free from Owain's grasp to face the man head on," However, there may be an arrangement we can reach."

Owain's brow furrowed," Inigo…"

Inigo couldn't bring himself to look back at his friend, knowing the disapproval he would meet once he asked," What kind of arrangement?"

"My daughter is a refugee, you see," The blue haired man started airily, oddly detached for someone talking about his family," The only people capable of protecting her right now are the Nohrian Royal Family, and I worry of what my brother may be plotting. She is too young to look after herself, you see, and the king will refuse to provide a retainer for her until she is of age. If something were to happen to the Belins, it is likely my brother would take this opportunity to corrupt her."

The brunet swallowed," I apologize, but I fail to see what this has to do with-."

"Their current retainers are petty and useless, corrupted by frivolous infighting in the family," The man pressed his finger into Inigo's chest," You have no such motives."

He pressed his lips into a thin line, not liking the implications of that statement at all. He had barely scraped out of two wars, and entering another one did not seem appealing whatsoever," You want me to become a retainer, but I'm not sure I-."

The stranger's voice dropped so suddenly, it nearly caused Inigo to flinch," If you fail to comply with my terms, you will never see your precious Fell Blood again. Do you even love her?"

It felt like he his hand went straight through his chest and crushed his heart," Of course I do-."

"Do you care about your son?"

"My-," Morgan. How the hell did he know about Morgan?! Desperation was setting in fast, the walls closing in around him as he stuttered," Y-You leave him out of this."

The man chuckled, Inigo's anxiety coming across amusing," You wish for him to be born, do you not? The absence of your precious lover would in turn cause your son to vanish as well. It would be a tragedy, would it not?"

Inigo felt Owain clap a hand on his shoulder, doing what little he could to ground his friend," Something is very wrong about all of this, Inigo. I do not trust this man."

"Poor, naive Owain," The white haired boy's grip tightened at the mention of his name," Caution all you want, but the truth of the matter is that Inigo has no choice," The man brought his attention back to the mercenary, his eerie smile ever present," The only gateway will open in one month's time at the edge of the Ylissian border in a cavern deep below the ground. If you are steadfast in your determination to see the Fell Blood again, you will arrive. If not-."

Inigo barely had time to blink before an arrow whizzed right in front of him, causing his tormenter to disappear along with it. He…He was gone. The brunet shakily ran a hand through his hair, taking in everything he had told him. Gods, he had to leave? He had just gotten his parents back, now he had to abandon them? Was he not allowed to have both a happy family life and Una?

"Owain! I-Inigo!" The crunch of footsteps approaching managed to regain his attention. Noire slid to a stop, her bow gripped tightly in her hands," Are you okay?"

The new prince of Plegia stumbled back in surprise when his fiancé tackled him in a tight embrace, patting her head awkwardly with eyes still trained on the vacant spot in front of him," As alright as we can be after facing a foe of that chaos. What about you, Noire? You seem shaken."

She nodded, breaking apart to address the two at the same time," I spoke with the villagers. They told me that a man in a white robe fought the onslaught of invisible soldiers that attacked them, but then demanded they serve him like a king. He threatened their children, a-and when they tried to break free he—he brought the invisible soldiers back," The purple haired girl shuddered," He said they were ungrateful and vanished."

"Are the villagers unharmed?" Inigo asked.

Much to the boys' horror, she shook her head," The guard had just made it in time to save a majority of them, but they lost a lot of lives. When I-I saw him with you, I was worried he would pull another dirty trick," With much hesitance, she sheathed her bow," What did he say?"

"He wants Inigo to become retainer for a royal family he does not know in exchange for Aunt Una's life," Owain grimaced, perturbed enough by the events to drop his usual act," I smell a trap."

"Be that what it may," Inigo's wobbly voice broke through the pair, bringing them to take in their shattered comrade," If there's a chance I can get Una back, I-I have to take it."

0-0-0

To say the Shepherds were against this plan would be an understatement.

Inigo pitched the concept during their next patrol, only to be met with much hesitance. Chrom and Sumia were uncertain about the mysterious man's motives, and as much as Chrom would have liked to investigate for himself, there was no plausible way the country could afford to be without an Exalt. Frederick, ever the wary, was completely against it. He declared there was no way to guarantee he even knew Una's whereabouts, and it would be a huge risk for Inigo to take. Gaius simply stated he didn't trust anyone, though he did pull Inigo aside and said he would be conflicted if he was in his shoes.

Telling his parents wasn't any easier. Lon'qu was immediately critical of it, saying that something about the deal didn't add up. The fact that he offered the deal to Inigo was suspicious to say the least, especially after initially turning him away. Olivia was against it for completely different reasons, pleading with him not to join another war. Las was a bit more down the middle, seeing both sides but not liking the implications of either. To him, there was no outcome where Inigo was the winner.

So when Inigo told Morgan, the last response he expected was a watery smile," Dad, you have to do it."

"Wh-What?" He nearly spit out his tea, eyes wide as he took in his son's relieved demeanor. He had grown so accustomed to what everyone else had thought that he began to doubt he should even consider the stranger's deal. Having Morgan be so resolute in his answer honestly shook him," You _want_ me to leave?"

"What? No! Of course I don't _want _you to leave," Morgan stirred his drink absently, his head turned down so his father couldn't see his expression," But everything you said—it sounds familiar. Nohr, the Belins, people with god-like powers," He sighed," I can't say I remember it, but it rings more of a bell than the names here."

Inigo clenched and unclenched his fists, taking this new factor in with a touch of mirth. Morgan hailing from the world he was being blackmailed into traveling to made him feel more secure about his decision, but his inability to confirm his memories made him uneasy," You think your mother is there?"

Morgan's gaze remained trained on his teacup for what felt like hours before uttering," Yes. I'm sure of it. I've got that tingle-y feeling in my head."

The brunet heaved a deep breath, leaning back until his back slumped against his chair. Hearing it from the stranger gave him the slightest bit of hope, but hearing it from his own son made his heart swell. The chances of seeing the love of his life after almost a year were starting to become better and better. Along with the relief came another bundle of separate worries; If Morgan was right and Nohr was the world he hailed from, the dangerous stranger's threats rang a lot more true. If Inigo refused to go, there was a strong chance Morgan would never be born," So what do you propose we do?"

The silence that followed his question weighed heavier than an entire suit of armor," Dad, I…," The gray haired boy set his cup onto the table with a light clink," If everything the man said is true and you're meant to find mom there, I-," He exhaled in frustration," I can't come with you."

Inigo's head whipped up," What do you mean you can't come? You cannot ask me to leave you behind—to _choose_ between you and Una!"

"You have to," He insisted, bringing his watery eyes up to face his father straight on," I don't know how I'm here and not there. What if my presence there changes major events here? I know I don't remember anything, but I think I'd be able to recall an older version of myself living with my parents."

"But you can change the past," Inigo fired back," We all did when we traveled back. Who is to say you cannot do the same?"

"And who is to say I _can_?" Morgan dropped his forehead onto the table with a groan. He didn't even bring himself up when he began speaking again," Dad, I _want_ to come with you. I really do. I just…_can't_," With one last deep breath, his son was able to compose himself enough to face his father again. When his voice came out, it was raw," I know you're worried about me, but I-I'll be okay. Lon'qu and Olivia will look after me until you're back and—what about Nah? I can't abandon her."

Inigo grunted, hating how boxed in he felt. Fate was turning out to be crueler than he originally anticipated. He wanted Una back in his arms more than anything in the world, but was the price to pay his separation from his son? Las was right when he said there was no winning option," But what if I can't come back?"

Despite the turmoil Morgan was going through, he managed a comforting smile," Then we'll find a way to bring both you and mom home."

0-0-0

Inigo had never felt more resolute and torn at the same time as he stood before the cavern the stranger specified. He had arrived nearly twenty minutes prior to mentally prepare himself for what was ahead, but instead found himself dwelling on the evening past him. The farewell to his family had been a rough one, and while his parents were still uneasy about this deal, they supported him. Saying goodbye to Morgan had been especially hard, what with his son trying so hard to keep himself together. Now Inigo fully understood what Una was referring to when she said Morgan tried to ball all his emotions up. If Nah hadn't been there to support his son, Inigo wasn't sure he could have brought himself to leave.

He distracted the anxious part of himself with the hope that he would be able to see Una again soon. Gods, he missed her so much. Her letter sat in his pocket, and at the request of Morgan, her tactician coat rolled up in his bag. What would he say when he saw her again? Hell, would he even be able to say anything? Inigo chuckled to himself; he would have to come up with some cheesy pick-up lines to spring on her the moment they reunited.

"Inigo!"

Said boy tumbled off the rock he was perched on, startled when a group of footsteps approached him from behind. He squinted in the dark, taking the hand that reached out to help him back up. When he regained his footing, his jaw nearly dropped to the ground in disbelief," Owain? What are you doing here?"

"The same as you, my fellow comrade!" He chirped nonchalantly, as if he was agreeing to join him on a night stroll instead of a universe jump," We warriors are here to accompany you on your quest!"

Inigo blinked. Then he blinked again. Was he…was he being serious right now? The mercenary pouted his lips," If this is some sort of practical joke, it isn't funny."

"I-It's not a joke," If hearing Owain was jarring enough, Noire's approach sent him into complete shock," Owain and I talked about it, and we were worried about you. W-We didn't want you to face this alone."

"The mighty Owain never backs down from a challenge," He added with a thumbs up.

Inigo pressed his lips into a thin line," I still don't think you _really_ understand-."

"We understand perfectly fine!" He couldn't help the small yelp that sprung from his lips when Severa, of all people, spoke up," We're coming with you, so just accept our help and thank us later."

The brunet's eyes flickered from the giddy couple to the aggravated girl, brow furrowing in confusion. With Owain, it made a little sense. They had formed a solid friendship since the war had ended, and he should have honestly foreseen a stunt like this happening. Noire, while not as adventurous, had proved herself to be quite loyal as well. It was Severa, who he thought up until now hated him, that left him perplexed," Hold on; _you_ want to help me find Una?"

"_Why are you so surprised_?!"

"I'm not surprised!" Inigo squeaked out, though it was more in self defense than actual honesty," I just assumed you wouldn't want to leave your parents behind, that's all," The stillness that followed his statement only solidified his worries," You are all aware that is what you are confining yourselves to, right? I can't promise that you'll ever see them again."

He watched as they exchanged silent, knowing looks with one another. The quiet was only broken with Owain's soft laugh," We all have our reasons."

"But-."

"No buts! We've already made our decision," Noire's face fell," U-Unless you don't want us to come."

Inigo glowered at the puppy-dog eyes his friend was giving him. Leave it to them to send Noire, arguably the child amongst them they had all spent the most time looking after, to break him down," Fine. You can come."

Severa scoffed," That's not a thank you!"

"I'm not going to thank you for something I didn't ask for!" Inigo shot back, this time with a touch of humor. He had allowed them a way out if they needed it, but seeing his friends stay so resolute in their decision made him feel a little better about his own. With their help, he was sure to find Una in no time.

The redhead opened her mouth to retort, but a chillingly familiar voice beat her to it," I see you chose correctly," Inigo tried swallowing all of his nerves down before turning to greet the same man who had haunted his dreams for the past month. His yellow eyes gleamed hungrily, observing the new pawns in the equation with fervor," And you brought companions. How _quaint_."

Inigo shifted from one foot to the other, sending a last silent look towards all his friends. When they all nodded determinedly, he faced the man straight on," We're ready."

His blood ran cold when the stranger smirked," What a frivolous notion. Not a single one of you are prepared for the fate that stands before you," He raised his hand slowly, amused by how easily he held their complete attention," Hell awaits you all."

And with a snap, they were gone.

* * *

**ANGST. Okay, so I really wanted a perspective from Inigo (who I will now be referring to as Laslow from this point on) before coming to Nohr. Una's disappearance really hit him harder than he lets on, and you better bet your buttons that we'll see more of that later on in the story. We'll get more flashbacks as the story progresses on, but this part was getting long enough as it is. Biggest new edition; Uncle Las! I always thought it was odd that Selena and Odin kept names close to their actual names, but Inigo did not! It's probably a translation thing, but I decided to put some in-story context to back it up. Who better to name himself after than the man that helped him find Una? I also think that Las and Morgan would get along splendidly for when Laslow had to leave. Poor Laslow has nightmares, and he's definitely not taking his own advice and talking about them. I kind of mentioned in the last chapter that Una is "the girl Laslow dreams about". Niles and Laslow are room-neighbors in this story, so...hint hint. OOF, we've got a dragon god coming in and recruiting my boy. This is a first hand example of me changing the plot of fates because I don't love everything about it. This dude is NOT Anankos. I don't really like the approach they took with Hidden Truths, so I kind of changed it. I'm sorry if this offends you! The question is, if the Avatar (Mari!) isn't Anankos's daughter, then who is this dragon dude? With that out of the way, I really wanted him to mess with Laslow. He knows exactly what to say to provoke him, haha. Thankfully Noire swooped in to save the day! Oh my gosh, Morgan and Laslow's conversation killed me! They have to be separated! But no worries; Morgan is going to be born in this universe! I'm just gonna miss him until then (If you're new to this story, Morgan is my favorite character). Okay, and here we have another change: Noire is coming to Nohr! I know this is really weird, but I have my reasons! First of all, Owain x Noire is one of the best Fire Emblem Awakening ships and super underrated. I really wanted them to stay together. I also really just like Noire as a character! I wanted her to have more of a presence. Finally, if Ophelia is going to be in this story, I needed her to have a mother. I am a Odin x Elise shipper like many people out there, but I really could not justify Odin (who is about 21 where the timeline picks up in this story) falling in love with a 12 year old. Even if when Mari (the avatar) comes in, Elise is 15, that's still weird to me. With that note, I will say that all the younger siblings will unfortunately not be getting their children in this story. Mari is 18 when the story starts, so having anyone younger than that become pregnant just sits wrong with me. I can guarantee that we will be getting Soleil, Morgan, Ophelia, Asugi, Siegbert, Shiro, Velouria, and Caeldori (because they are all children of the older characters). I'm still a little on the fence about Shigure and Hisame because their roles have now changed in the story. I'll have to wait and see how things pan out! Can you guys guess who their parents are? A couple of them are predictable, but I know there are a few that will surprise you!**

**I'm adding a new segment in the notes called: What did I change? This one will be short because I literally changed nothing. I really liked how I wrote this chapter the first time and only did minor edits (if anything at all). It's the next few chapters where things divulge from the original plotline. **

**Okay, with all that information out of the way, let's talk about next chapter! We're picking up where we left off in the last chapter, which means we're getting an explanation from Laslow! I like to think of these first couple of chapters as world-building, so hopefully I'll be able to tie up any questions you have for the time being! We're not getting Mari (Avatar) for a while (cause of the way the timeline works out), so we're going to get a lot of pre-war life! What are your guy's predictions? I love to hear what you think! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next week!**

**-Uprisingdragon **


	3. Chapter 3: An Explanation

**(Hello everyone! So much has happened in the past week, and I am EXHAUSTED. I am back to school now, so my schedule may be a little wonky. I don't think anything should change, though, so nothing in this story will be effected. I got Fire Emblem Three Houses, too! And might I just say...FEAR THE DEER! I don't know who my favorite characters are yet because I've only played it a couple days, but I would love to hear your thoughts! This is a no spoiler zone, by the way.) This was my original note in the front, and I wanted to touch on it for a little bit of an explanation. When I returned to school, I got a really bad bout of depression. I don't like college, but I'm too close to graduating to switch schools. Anyways, it got to the point where I decided I needed medication to help me. Thankfully it did and I feel like I am working on being my best self! I just wanted to apologize for promising to come back and putting it off for so long. **

**Anyways, we left off with part of Laslow's backstory and a promise for them to meet at midnight. I hope you are all ready for a much needed explanation!**

* * *

Laslow didn't know how long he stood in front of Una's door.

After being on the receiving end of a rather lengthy lecture from Lord Xander, he pulled Peri aside and practically begged her to cover his guard shift that night. She initially refused, but he managed to tide her over by promising he would take over an entire week's worth of shifts. He rolled his eyes; Bribery always worked with Peri.

Now all he had to do was work up the nerve to actually face Una. A small part of him was convinced he made everything up, but the headache from hearing Xander repeatedly berate him proved otherwise. She was really here, and he needed to get a hold of himself and knock on her door before she came looking for him.

His knuckles hovered over the wood, anxiety gnawing at his insides. What was he even scared of anyway? This was Una, for gods sake! She recognized him earlier and even accepted his embrace! She was here, just like Aditya promised. She was a little late, he thought with a touch of mirth, but she was here. So what was holding him back?

He hated that he knew the answer. The shock of pulling away from his beloved and seeing a pair of eyes exactly like the demon who had sent him here made his stomach churn. His Una had always had beautiful brown eyes. There was a chance that this was a side effect of coming back from the dead, but the nagging voice in his head knew that it wasn't that simple.

Just as Laslow's fist was about to make contact with the door, it flew open. He tipped forward a little bit in surprise, a blush coating his cheeks when he heard an achingly familiar giggle," I thought I heard someone breathing."

He composed himself as quickly as possible. He didn't know if this was the real Una or not, but he couldn't discount the fact that it might be yet," Hello to you too," The hero replied, sending Una back his own crooked smirk," I'm glad you're eager to see me, but you probably shouldn't have opened the door. What if I was a murderer?"

"I can take care of myself, mister," Despite the ferocity in her words, Laslow was taken aback by how soft she was when her eyes flickered behind him," It _is_ safe now…right?"

His shoulders sank at the tremor in her voice. She was definitely putting on a brave face for him, but he had long past gained the ability to see right through it. A small part of him relished the fact that he had retained that ability after all these years," Not quite yet."

Laslow pulled the cloak he had been storing underneath his shoulder out and situated it around her small frame, pulling the dark hood up to hide her fluffy, purple hair. She hesitantly brought her hands up to help peek through the edge, her stare borderline unimpressed," What is this for?"

He felt himself purse his lips. There was no way he could say _I'm sneaking you out of the capital _that would bode well with her. Then again, he couldn't lie either. He was terrible at it, especially when Una was involved.

A small hand on his abruptly pulled him from his train of thought. Laslow brought his gaze from fiddling with the cloak's clasp to the girl in front of him, suddenly acutely aware of how close they were. Una's face was only a few inches away from his own, her soft pink lips pulling him in like a siren song. His eyes briefly flickered up to meet her irises, shimmering with a warmth he hadn't seen in years. Gods, he could get lost in those eyes. He felt his grip move on autopilot, pulling Una closer and closer until-

Wait.

_What was he doing?!_

Laslow whipped his head away faster than lighting, absolutely positive his cheeks were bright red. He wanted nothing more than to capture Una in a passionate embrace, but he did not want to imagine the horrors that would befall him if this all turned out to be one elaborate trick. He squeezed his eyes shut and steadied his breathing to put himself back on track.

Una pouted when he hastily clasped her cloak shut. The brunet made a move to pull away for good, but her hand shot out to recapture one of his," Inigo, what's going on?"

It took Herculean strength to tear his gaze away from her eyes," I promise to explain everything, but we cannot talk about it here," He explained, gently taking her hand in his to rub his thumb against her knuckles. Eventually, the gray haired man settled with an airy," Just trust me."

Her expression did not change, but she did not protest either. Laslow took this as an okay to move on. His hand did not leave hers as the pair padded through the halls of Clarkenstein, weaving in and out of dark corners to avoid the night watch. They were on the opposite side of the building as the royal family, so Laslow was thankful he wouldn't have to explain this scenario to one of the retainers. The hero exhaled in relief when they entered the stables unscathed, pleased even more so to find it empty.

Una cocked her head to the side cutely, watching as Laslow saddled up a pale, gray mare," You own a horse?"

"Unfortunately not," He sighed, opening the gate so the beast could step out into the moonlight. Part of his deal with Peri had also included borrowing her horse, he just failed to mention it to her. He hoped she wouldn't notice," Though I ride Horsey enough for her to be comfortable around me. I might as well be her surrogate parent."

She cocked her eyebrow in amusement," Horsey?"

"Peri named her."

Una nodded slowly," And Peri is…"

Gods, she really didn't know anything. Laslow was not used to being the one with answers, especially with Una in the equation. It felt weird having their places switched like this," She's Lord Xander's other retainer and a friend of mine."

The purple haired girl's eyes widened, her voice small when it came out," You're a retainer? But what about your parents? What about Mor-."

Laslow lunged forward, clapping a hand over Una's lips before she could finish her sentence. She took this action just about as well as he thought she would, attempting to push him off in frustration. He would have let her too, if the circumstances hadn't been what they were," Remember what I said about trusting me?" He whispered hurriedly," It won't be much longer, I promise."

And just like that, the angry sheen in her eyes was replaced by frustration. Laslow didn't fight her as she pushed him off, pursing her lips in a way that was absolutely adorable," You're lucky you're cute."

0-0-0

Under any other circumstances, Una would have believed she was going to get murdered. Inigo was being ridiculously secretive, which was concerning at first but had quickly morphed into something completely vexing. He barely spoke to her when they left the capital, told her not to look people in the eyes as they passed them in the streets, and did not halt the horse until they reached a riverbank a few miles outside the city. If she had been sitting on the horse with anyone aside from Inigo, she might as well have signed her own death certificate.

The purple haired girl stared out at the tiny river, barely large enough to be counted as a body of water; She had seen walkways wider than it. It was baffling to compare a sight like this to Ylisse, which was bursting at the seams with streams and lakes. How could so many people survive with so little?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a light tap on her thigh. She glanced down to find Inigo, arms up expectantly," I won't stop you from staying on Horsey, but I doubt she'd enjoy it."

"No, of course not," Una pushed herself right into his open arms, accepting his help as he caught her waist. The moment her boots were on the ground, he pulled his hands back and meandered towards the river. Una glanced from the horse to the man in front of her, a million questions burning on the tip of her tongue. Ever since he left that evening, her mind had been whirling a mile a minute. The fact that he had been both figuratively and literally pushing her away was driving her insane," Inigo, I need you to tell me what's going on-."

"First," He cut her off, voice shuddering as much as the day Grima had been resurrected," I…," Inigo inhaled sharply, gaze fastened on his closed fist," I need you to prove that you're really Una."

For a few moments, all she could do was blink. Out of all of the questions he could have asked, this was the most baffling," Wh…What?" Panic began to curl in her chest, suffocating the beating heart in her chest," I don't understand-."

"Please," The brunet pleaded," I want to believe you're her. I want it more than anything in the entire world. I just-," His grip tightened," I can't lose her again."

Una willed anxious tears to stay in their ducts. Crying wasn't going to get them anywhere, and if this was the step she needed to bring things back to normal, so be it," Oh…Okay. Uh, we both hail from Ylisse. Our son's name is Morgan-."

"I need it to be more specific than that."

"More specific than the name of our son?" Her voice wavered," Morgan hasn't even been born yet. How would-."

Inigo fervently shook his head," He knows about him."

Una fell quiet at that," Who is _he_?" She felt herself grow closer towards her limit when the only answer she received was a downcast look. She didn't know who this stranger was or what he had to do with this whole situation, but it must have been pretty bad if it caused her lovable Inigo to act this way.

The purple haired girl wracked her brain, eyes unconsciously shifting towards the pathetic stream trickling by their feet. She needed to come up with something credible and fast," The rock," She began slowly, reaching towards the deepest corners of her memories," It was purple," He jolted a little at that, watery pupils turning back to finally face her. She took this as a positive sign to continue," You wanted to have it as a keepsake, but I got scared you would leave and threw it off the side of the mountain," Una squeezed her arms tighter to her sides," I…I wanted to take you back there once things settled down—to find another keepsake with better memories. But then…," Her eyelids pressed shut at his silence," I-I don't know if that's specific enough but I really don't know what else—oomph!"

Una didn't know what she was expecting, but the sensation of Inigo wrapping his arms around her torso and spinning her around in the air certainly wasn't it. She stumbled a bit once her feet found solid ground again, but he didn't give her any time to recover," You're here—You're _finally_ here," A stunned squeak escaped her lips when he began peppering every inch of her face with kisses," I am so sorry I doubted you," He murmured," I was—I was just frightened that-."

"That it wouldn't be me?" She finished softly. One of her hands reached up to gently coax a stray silver strand back into place. As lovely as this sudden onslaught of attention was, she desperately needed an explanation," Please tell me what's going on."

The gray haired man paused, shifting from one foot to the other before backing away with a sigh," If I'm being completely honest, I don't even know where to start," Una shrugged apologetically," Heh, you're right. I guess you wouldn't either. You are completely in the dark," This seemed to spark something in him, bringing the smallest of smiles onto his lips," How about we start there? What do you know?"

Una felt herself fiddle with one of her vest's buttons," Well, I woke up this afternoon in a dead field to find Elise running away from one of her old retainers, Jeremiah. I may or may not have killed him in self-defense, and now she wants me to take his place," Inigo nodded, gently encouraging her to go on," I know we're in a country called Nohr, and I think there's another one called Hoshido. Elise kept having to explain that I'm not Hoshidan to other people."

The hero cocked his head to the side," Why would people think you're Hoshidan?"

Una shrank, irritated at her ears for burning pink. She really hadn't thought this through when she initially came up with the idea, and there was no way Inigo was going to let her live this down," Uh, I may or may not have borrowed your last name."

"Avalon?"

"Avalon?" This time it was the tactician's turn to be confused," I thought it was Zhao?"

Just like that, every inch of Inigo's body turned bright red," A-Ah, of course! How silly of-," He managed to push his own bashfulness aside for a brief second, adding onto her embarrassment with a smug smile," Hold on a minute; You took my last name?"

Her arms self-consciously crossed themselves," I _borrowed_ it. I don't have one of my own, a-and I figured you wouldn't mind."

If looks could turn her legs to jelly, the one Inigo was sending her would make her collapse," I don't," Inigo murmured, eyes briefly flickering up and down over her before he coughed," Anyways, why don't you go on?"

Una resisted the urge to tuck her hair behind her ear, instead opting to nod," I learned that Leo and Elise are the prince and princess of this country, though I think they might have more siblings," She brought up her hand and began counting off her fingers," I met Simone, Niles, and Camilla in my time here. Simone seems nice enough, but I hear Camilla is in a feud with Elise and Niles threatened me," To prove her issue, she pointed at the small mark his arrow left on her neck. She purposely left out her sudden appearance changes," I think that's it."

Inigo frowned, moving close enough to tilt her chin up. His fingertips barely skimmed over her scar, babying it as if it were a stab wound," I apologize, Una. Niles can be a bit intense."

She snorted," It's just a scratch," Una felt her heart plummet into her stomach when her irises met Inigo's. The usually bright hickory shade had dulled tremendously, clouded with an emotion she could not place," Inigo, are you alright?"

"I…," Just like that, he was withdrawing again. Inigo backed up a few steps, breaking eye contact and forcing a smile," I'm fine. Why don't you tell me about what happened before today? I don't have a lot to go off of with that information."

Una's brow instinctively furrowed. Before today? The last thing she remembered was disintegrating in Chrom's arms, and aside from the dream with her favorite royal siblings, there was nothing else. Had something else happened since then? Inigo did look a little different. A brief time skip would make sense. Naga did say it would take her a while to wake up.

The tactician harrumphed in defeat," I…I confess that I'm not really sure. The last thing I can remember is fighting Grima. I guess Naga decided to drop me off a little afterwards, huh?"

The silence that followed her statement pierced like a knife. If it had been anyone else, Una would have assumed they were taking their time to find an answer. But with Inigo, he always had something to say. Even if it was an awkward hum or laugh, his special talent was filling dead space. She made the mistake of turning back to him, only to have the air sucked out from her.

Inigo's face was deathly pale. He opened and closed his lips a few times, wetting his lips as he tried to find a way to respond. Eventually his forehead was in his hand as he mumbled under his breath, just quiet enough that she couldn't hear," Inigo?"

His hand slowly curled up so it was in a fist, knocking itself lightly against his hair until he muttered," You…You're still eighteen?" Una nodded slowly, not liking at all where this conversation was going," Gods, you're telling me that you haven't _aged a day since you disappeared_?"

"…You have?"

Without warning, Inigo's legs gave out. Una instinctively dove forward to catch him, her own knees buckling when she saw the state he was in; She felt as if time had wrenched her back to after she found him in the rain. All she could do was watch helplessly at his bedside table as he shivered, eyes refusing to open. He may not have been sick at the moment, but for some reason the circumstances felt much, much worse.

The gray haired man choked out a laugh, the bitterness enveloping it making it anything but cheerful," As of this year, I am officially twenty-one years old," He began, his voice low as the weight of the situation finally sank in," It has been four years since you disappeared."

Just like that, Una knew exactly what emotion had been clouding his irises: devastation. It was something she had never seen in him before. The worst thing she could recall was his nerves surrounding his parents' fight with Walhart, but that couldn't even dream to compare with the trauma radiating off him. Usually she relished gaining new information, but this…this _burned_. Her eyes flickered to the man beside her, resentment boiling in her chest. Four years. _Four years_! She had left him for _four years_ and had the _audacity_ to ask him to wait for her. Oh gods, had he thought she was dead? Una felt her drew her arms closer to her chest, holding herself in a way she desperately wanted from Inigo," Inigo, I-."

"Please, grant me a second to regain my bearings," The purple haired girl's mouth shut in a snap. She quietly turned her attention towards the dust already coating her boots, focusing on the muted shine to keep herself from suffocating in the dry night air. Gods, she felt as though she was being suffocated.

Thankfully, the gentle brush of fingertips against her wrist pulled her away from drowning," Do you…," His voice trailed off, almost as if he was stopping himself from asking what was truly nagging him,"…mind that I am twenty one?"

She slid her hand so that her fingers could intertwine with his," No. Do you mind that I am still eighteen?"

"Una," He murmured, thumb rubbing small circles against her skin," I came here because a god offered me the chance to see you again, and nothing in the universe can change my devotion for you."

She tried to ignore the hot blush creeping up her neck in favor of silently prodding him to go on," A god?"

"That was three years ago. Part of our deal was that I become a retainer for the Belin family, so I made sure to impress the king and Lord Xander. If they turned me away, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Thankfully everything worked out, except for the part including you," Her heart nearly exploded when she caught a ghost of a smile on his lips," You couldn't have come a little sooner?"

Una sheepishly fiddled with the aglet on her shoelace," Sorry."

Inigo bit out a small laugh, this one leagues more genuine than the first," I suppose I can accept that for now, but you owe me, missy," He began to mirror her actions, his fingernail scraping at a patch of dirt on his boot," I…do apologize for reacting so brashly. I built this scenario of how we would someday reunite in my head, and this was not exactly how things played out."

"Please don't apologize," She replied hurriedly, her hand giving his a supportive squeeze," It's my fault we're in this mess, and I'm sorry that all of this happened to you," The eighteen year old found herself urging him to continue," If you don't mind my asking, how _did_ you imagine our reunion?"

"Must you know? It's a little embarrassing," She felt the corners of her lips turn up when his face tinted red," Uh, well, I suppose I can try my best to convey this. You see, I had a more enchanting setting in my mind. Nohr has an annual Valentines Ball—it's absolutely lovely, there are so many beautiful women and delicious pastries-."

Una quirked her eyebrow," Beautiful women, hmm?"

"None more beautiful than you, of course," Inigo recovered quickly," I always attend this ball alone—mostly because everyone I ask turns me down—but that's where my fantasy comes in," He bashfully rubbed the back of his neck, the anxieties from a few minutes prior gradually getting replaced with the story he wove," I would be at the bottom of the grand staircase and you would enter, wearing the most stunning blue ballgown I could imagine. You were easily the most exquisite woman in the room, outshining every noblewoman and princess in sight," Una's ears turned a little pink at that," We would lock eyes from across the room, instantly recognizing one another after all these years. Then, we would slowly cross towards each other until meeting the middle of the dancefloor."

Inigo continued," You would say something like _I have been searching for you for years, and now I've finally found you. _I always figured that you had just been transferred over to Nohr, not taken out of the timeline and thrown back in years later," He explained facetiously," The egotistical part of me also envisioned you looking around expectantly and asking _It has been so long. Why don't you have someone at your side?" _Una didn't say it out loud, but she had found herself wondering something along those same lines. One look at his soft stare and she decided against asking," I, of course, reply by stating _How could I ever imagine having someone else when I promised to wait for the most beautiful woman in the world? _You would give me that dopey smile of yours, and we would spend the rest of the night dancing to our hearts' content," Inigo paused a few seconds before awkwardly chuckling," See? I told you it was embarrassing."

Una, however, was zeroed in on something completely different," Hold on; In your fantasy, you said you waited for me," Her voice wobbled," Have you actually waited for me after all these years?"

The gaze he sent her way was completely warm and, funnily enough, borderline baffled," Of course I did."

Her heart swelled bigger than it ever had before, complete and utter adoration filling every crevice of her being. He waited for her. Inigo, the same person who had once thrived off of flirting with girls, swore off other women to follow her to another country. He waited four years for her to return, and welcomed her with open arms once she did. Una could barely contain herself.

One look at Inigo, and she promptly decided that containing herself was overrated anyway. The purple haired girl scooted forward until she could hop onto his lap, straddling both of his legs between hers. This turned out to be easier said than done, because the petticoat kept getting caught underneath her and on any button in sight. Despite practically feeling the heat emitting from Inigo's face, she frowned when his chuckle rang into her ears," What are you doing?"

"Petticoats are stupid," With one last yank, she gave up and instead moved her hands up to grip Inigo's collar. He barely had a second to react before she pulled him down and pressed her lips against his.

Una went in with the intention of being gentle, but Inigo was gone the second her mouth was on his. All of the almost touches and longing looks building up over the night finally pushed him over the edge, her kiss giving him permission to release all the tension he had acquired over the years. His hands pressed against the small of her back, drawing her as close to him as humanly possible. She matched his fervor by burying her fingers into his silver locks. Una felt him grumble against her lips, almost willing to break the kiss to ask what was wrong. It was only when she felt him fiddle with the clasp of her cloak that she was made aware, a shiver running down her spine when he pushed the fabric off her shoulders. With the garment gone, his hands were back on her waist holding her even closer than he had before. She went to giggle, but the sound was quickly captured by his mouth on hers.

She felt like she was on fire again, but this time substantially more pleasant. The last time they had done something like this was before the final battle with Walhart, which meant it had been even longer for Inigo. She hadn't wanted to push the shy boy's limits back then, but now, she knew how much they had both been holding back.

By this point, his hands had slipped underneath her blouse and were exploring the soft skin around her waist like she was the most important thing in the world. Una brought her lips down to press kisses on his neck, heart thrumming a little louder in her chest every time he made a noise.

The purple haired girl felt herself steadily leaning back until she was flat on the ground, Inigo on top of her. He used their new position to his advantage, using one arm to prop himself up as he kissed her and the other to start undoing the buttons on her vest. Una's hands finally left the tangle that was his hair to tighten around his shirt, shuddering against his lips as he undid her garment," I-Inigo."

His hands paused, and much to Una's disappointment, Inigo pulled back. He kept his doting gaze completely on her, only guiding her attention away by the finger he pressed against her mouth," You can't call me that anymore, love."

Una felt herself heat up at how husky his voice had become, mortified that her blush had traveled across the entirety of her face. He chuckled a little bit at that before sitting up and looping an arm around her waist to help her do the same. She felt a tiny surge of pride rush through her when she caught how rumpled his hair and top had become. She couldn't imagine she looked much better, what with her blouse completely untucked, vest hanging open, and swollen lips. He didn't comment on her embarrassment; he only brought one of his hands up to cup her cheek, the hero's thumb rubbing gentle circles just below her eye.

She happily leaned into his grasp, buzzing with excitement. He was touching her again, something she didn't know she needed until it was gone. She just hoped her pout made it very clear how dissatisfied she was with how short he cut their session," Why not?"

"When we came to Nohr, Aditya made us change our identities," Inigo leaned his forehead against hers as a silent way to make up for it and explain himself at the same time," I borrowed my Uncle Laslow's name, had my hair turn gray, and diversified myself by learning how to use an axe. I officially go by Laslow Avalon now, so it's pertinent that you call me such. However," Her hand twitched when he lowered his voice," You can call me Inigo in private whenever you please."

Una bobbed her head, trying desperately to focus on the matter at hand and not get lost in Inigo—no, Laslow—again," If it's that important, why didn't this Aditya person have me completely change my identity?"

"I wish I knew the answer to that," He sighed, his hand traveling up to curl into her hair," I can't say I'm angry. I cannot imagine you sporting any color aside from your signature purple. Besides, it's only your eyes that are different."

"Right…just my eyes…"

Laslow's eyes instinctively narrowed," What is it, love?"

She felt a roll of bile simmer in her stomach. Gods, she hadn't felt this self-conscious since she pummeled Ricken's toes at the Royal Ylissean Ball. Her irises sudden change in color was one thing, but having Manakete ears was an entirely different matter.

Seeing as she was at a completely loss for words, she shakily cupped one of her hands overs his and shifted it from her hair to behind her ear. He didn't seem to react at first, face ridden with confusion. It was only when the pads of his fingers brushed against her pointed ear that his nostrils flared," O-Oh. That's…er…"

Una had never wanted to sink into the ground more than that moment," Weird?"

"No!" He squeaked out," Not at all! It's just…a little surprise, that's all. They're cute—no, positively adorable! I've always loved your ears—this is getting awkward," He fumbled, his cheeks taking on a lovely shade of red," I just—it's just that-," Laslow let out a low hum, brow scrunched as he gathered his thoughts," Aditya. You look a bit like Aditya now," She felt her head tip when his voice took on a more serious tone," Are you absolutely positive you do not remember this man?"

"I swear I do not," Una's gaze dipped onto the ground, brain swimming with thousands of questions. This Aditya had to be the one behind her presence in Nohr. He was the one that changed Laslow's appearance and, apparently, her own. Who exactly was he, and what did he want with them? She rubbed her chin pensively," It seems as though we are dealing with unknown forces."

Laslow snorted," If by that you mean we're in over our heads, I completely agree."

She felt a sarcastic laugh spring from her lips," At least we are on the same page," The tactician leaned back, settling herself snugly in his lap as she pondered her next question," What can you tell me about the Belins? You said you were a retainer, but you didn't mention Leo or Elise. Are there more members of the royal family?"

Laslow nodded," More than you can imagine. King Garon is the head of the family and the ruler of the country, though he holds an iron fist and many of the people of Nohr fear him. His wife, Katerina, died during childbirth and only produced one heir. That would be Lord Xander, the High Prince of Nohr and my charge."

"You managed to become retainer for the future king?" Una hummed in satisfaction, her fingers briefly flitting over his biceps," You do seem a lot stronger now. I'm impressed."

His entire body erupted into flames," Th-Thank you. Most people just stare at me in disbelief when I tell them that," With a small cough, he was back onto his explanation," After Katerina perished, it took a while for King Garon to marry again. I hear tensions began to rise between Nohr and Hoshido by that point as well—that was before they started an all-out war that we're still in today—so he looked for distractions instead of love. By result, he took a few consorts. Out of those consorts, he produced…," Laslow tapered off, his brow scrunching as he tried to recall the amount,"…eight children? Four of them have died in some way or other, which leaves us with Lord Xander, Lady Camilla, Lady Amaris, Lord Leo, and Lady Elise."

"I apologize, but I'm confused," Una began, suddenly too jittery to just sit still. She settled by bringing her hands up to smooth Laslow's collar," By the way Elise was speaking, I assumed she and Camilla were cousins. She never mentioned they were sisters."

"Ah…that's because they technically are cousins," Laslow dropped his hand from her face to join the other comfortably around her waist," Lady Tilda, Lady Camilla's mother, was one of King Garon's first consorts. He never married her officially, choosing the late Lady Arete instead. Lady Elise's mother and Tilda's younger sister, Lady Trinette, saw Arete's passing as an opening and tried to gain his affection. They both managed to produce children with the king, even though he never married either of them. It caused a lot of grief between the two, especially after what happened to Lady Clara."

"Lady Clara?"

"Camilla's younger sister, full blood," The gray haired man sighed," She was poisoned by Lady Trinette. The woman managed to talk herself out of the blame and place it on Lady Tilda instead. Lady Tilda was executed for killing her own child, and Trinette may have taken the throne if not for her mysterious death a few months ago. Tensions are still pretty high between Lady Camilla and Lady Elise as a result, and there are already rumors about that Lady Camilla turned Lady Elise's retainers against her."

"And here I thought Chrom's family life was complicated," Una muttered. How did someone as terrible as Lady Trinette produce Elise? Sure, Una had only really known the princess for a day, but she could tell the girl was harmless. Her heart jolted, the conversation from earlier that afternoon hitting much harder now that she understood the context.

_"B-But mother did all those things, not m-me. That's what you said."_

_ "You are not responsible for Lady Trinette's actions."_

_ "I-I don't understand. I-If it's not my fault, then w-why do they want to hurt me?"_

Una released a huff of air, her mind slowly making itself up," I…I'm going to do it."

Laslow quirked his eyebrow," Do what?"

"I'm going to join you in your mission," She pumped her fist into the air with determination," I'm going to become Lady Elise's retainer!" Something in Laslow shifted at this comment, and if she had not had a trained eye for such a thing, she might have missed it. She brought one of her hands up to cup his cheek, turning his head to face her," What's wrong?"

"It's-," He hummed, clearly conflicted," Nohr is a dangerous place, Una. Ever since our agriculture fell into a wasteland, it's been hard to make it by. A good majority of our citizens blame the royal family for that, and that doesn't even count the fact you'd be retainer for a Hautecloque."

Una's hand was dropped in a second," You don't think I can take care of myself?"

"No, that's not it at all! I know you can, and…I know I can't stop you from doing something once you set your mind to it," She felt Laslow's thumbs fidget against her waist," Would you like me to start with the worst news and make my way towards something better, or vice versa?"

"Uh…Ease me into it."

Laslow bobbed his head," Alright then. You cannot be a Dark Flier in Nohr, there are no pegasuses," Una's jaw dropped," The closest class you could be would be either a Malig Knight or a Dark Knight."

The purple haired girl puffed out her cheeks. No pegasuses? Were there any flying units at all? She wasn't quite sure what a Malig Knight was, but she knew that Dark Knights were confined to land. She was trained to be in the sky; her efficiency would be cut in half when confined on foot. That left her with one option," Are Malig Knights air units?"

"Yes, but-."

"Then I guess I'll be a Malig Knight."

Laslow pursed his lips," I'm not so sure you'll enjoy that."

"And why not?"

"Malig knights ride wyverns," He snickered, poking her nose to prove his point," Last I checked, you wouldn't stand within ten feet of one."

Una's entire face went sheet white in a millisecond. Wyverns? Why did it have to be Wyverns?! She had been nearly eaten alive by one during the Plegian war, and despite Cherche's reassurances, she was positive Minerva despised her. Ooh, fate was especially cruel today," I-I guess I'll have to learn to get over my fear."

Laslow's mischievous smile only grew at her terrible attempt to bluff," You do remember what a wyvern is…right?"

"Of course I remember!" She huffed," Let's just move on. You have more news?"

The hero fell quiet," Ah yes. The bad news," Una felt him shift her closer, nearly to the point she was flat against his chest. It was only when he tipped his face into the crook of her neck that she felt him shudder," If you are to become a retainer, we cannot make our feelings for one another public knowledge."

"What?" Una's hands unconsciously curled behind his back," Why not?"

"The current governing system of Nohr is incredibly corrupt. If they discovered that we harbored feelings towards each other, they wouldn't doubt using it against us," Laslow mumbled," This would become especially dangerous once Morgan is born. It's better that people like Iago don't know we're involved in the first place."

Una shifted back so that she was facing him once more," Who is Iago?"

"Who is-," A groan sprung from his lips," You don't want to meet him, and you definitely don't want him to meet you. Let's just leave it at that for now."

There seemed to be a lot of people she should avoid. Una was starting to wonder if she should have brought something to write it all down. She needed to know what she was up against now that she planned on taking the position," Worse than Validar?"

Laslow tipped his head towards the sky, releasing a low hum when he settled," Well, seeing that Iago hasn't tried to kill you or Morgan, I'd say he wins."

"He also hasn't tried resurrecting the god of-," Una's eyes popped open, a stray thought halting her train of thought. She was on her feet in a second, pacing around as if she was going to find the person she was looking for in the brush," Where's Morgan?"

The gray haired man's soft smirk crumpled a little, though he did his best to recover from it," Morgan….could not come with me," The tactician's mouth flew open, but Laslow threw his hands up before she could make a sound," Do not fret! Morgan is safe and sound in Ylisse under the watch of my parents and Nah."

"You abandoned him?"

"…He asked me to," The hero turned away, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. Una silently noted that he was worse at hiding his exhaustion when posed with a hard question rather than a normal conversation. Four years…Had they taken more of a toll on him that she initially thought? Before she could articulate her question, Laslow continued with his explanation," According to him, this is the world he was born in. He did not want to risk something terrible happening because of messing with history."

Una's hands were back fidgeting against the buttons on her vest," Isn't that what you did, though? You and your younger self are fine. Why would Morgan be any different?"

"When we traveled back in time, we changed the events of our future," Laslow explained, pushing himself onto his feet to place a stable hand between her shoulder blades," I presume Morgan didn't want to change his past self's life. I think he knows more than he lets on," He added under his breath.

The purple haired girl felt her lower lip wobble. So that was it, wasn't it? Unless she found a way to return to Ylisse, there would be no seeing Morgan ever again. Laslow sighed, tightening his fist around the fabric of her vest to pull her back into his chest. His arms were encapsulating her waist in a second, quick to comfort her before a single tear could drop," It'll be alright, my love. It is not as though we will never have Morgan again."

She sniffed," What do you mean?"

"You heard what he said," She felt a coy smile form on his lips from against her hair," He is going to be born in this world. We just have to make him."

Just like that, the chalky white shade of her face turned a fiery red," U-Uh huh."

"Not tonight, of course," Laslow used the hem of her waist to spin her around so that she was pinned against his chest," You have a rather big day ahead of you tomorrow, so it's best you get some rest," Her skin turned hot when his lips pressed against her forehead," Let's go, my love."

* * *

**I am going to forward this afterword by saying I literally had no idea that FE3H had a five year time skip in it when I planned this story. IT's actually hilarious how similar these two plotlines became! I just needed Laslow, Odin, and Selena to be older for things to really sink in. After all, it'd be weird if Una returned on Laslow's first day of the job. I did humor the idea of have Grima taunt Una as a spirit, but that was way too close to Sothis for Byleth. Una's got a different plotline now, so it's all good. **

**Fun Fact: This entire chapter took one sentence of my planner. One. Sentence. I had a bunch of other things I wanted to do in this chapter, but it turned out that there was a lot more I wanted to touch base on than I thought. Ah well! We'll see Selena and Odin in the next segment. So, we've gotten a few answers out of our good boy Laslow (btw, it is so hard for me not to call him Inigo. I'm so sorry if I accidentally slip up and call him that. It's supposed to be that way for most of Una's segment, but that's the last time we're calling him that in the narrative). Laslow is definitely keeping something to himself, and though he managed to open up to Una later, we all know there's something more going on. Aditya really fucked him up. You've all put it together by now, but Laslow has aged four years and Una has aged four hours. That means Laslow is the older one in the relationship now! How weird is that? I changed things a little because I always felt like Laslow was a bit older than Inigo when he made his appearance. We took a little peek into the Belin family, and yes; Elise and Camilla's relationship is complicated to put it lightly. It's no wonder they've got reputations. Don't fret: I love them both and will not be doing any Belin Sister Slandering. They've just got to grow into the family they are at the beginning of the game, that's all. There's no dark fliers in Nohr! I read somewhere that pegasuses can't handle the enviornment and wyverns are much more prominent, so it looks like Una's gonna have to get over her fears. I'm really excited about that, though I am going to miss dark flier Una. And yes, we've got another secret relationship between our two favorite people. This one has a lot higher stakes than the one in Glib Banter, and I will say that this is not something that will go away after a few chapters. These two are in for the long haul. **

**Time for the "Things I changed" segment! Una's appearance change carried over into this chapter with a focus on Laslow's reaction to it. I feel like he'd be a lot more hesitant to trust her (even though he really wants to) when she looks different. That unfortunately lead to him testing her. I thought the purple rock story was a cute callback while also being incredibly specific to an integral part of their relationship. The four year time skip news was handled a little differently this go-round too. I think I had Laslow react a lot more dramatically the first time. That didn't vibe as much with this chapter. I think those were the major changes? There were conversational bits here and there but the layout from that point on stayed mostly the same. **

**Review time! (I'm keeping past review replies in because I love the conversations we have!)**

**Saber007:**** Oh my gosh, I wish I could! I love Xander and Corrin (Mari) as a couple, but for the sake of this story, I am going to go with a different (surprise!) pair. The person I am setting up with Mari is not a common pick at all, but I'm hoping I can get you all on board with it! He needs more love, tbh. And yes! I love Kaze too! I both strongly considered Kaze and Saizo to be Mari's love interest, but in the end, I was swayed in a different direction. But oh my god, Seig and Kana are too cute together! Seig is such a good brother in general, I wish he had more sibling options. Thank you for the review!**

**DavianThule19:**** Thank you so much! I am honestly a little nervous with how much I will be changing aspects of the story, so I'm relieved you are on board so far. I love getting into the politics of the Belin Family (small shoutout time: If you haven't followed Iasfuturekings on Tumblr, they have a super cool blog about the Nohrian Royal Family. I would check it out). I also feel like some parts of Mari, Azura, and Lilith's past are not tied up, so I would love to get into that a little deeper. And, oh boy, Laslow did not handle it well. I think he made a fast recovery, but I'm surprised the poor boy didn't faint on the spot! He's holding a lot more grief than he lets on. Thanks for the review!**

**The next chapter is going to pick up pretty close to where this one left off. There are some major adjustments Una's going to have to make, so get ready to go on that journey with her! I love hearing what you guys think, so please leave some feedback! I think it's cool to see your predictions. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next week!**

**-Uprisingdragon **


	4. Chapter 4: Old and New Faces

**Guys, this is such a long chapter. I know I keep saying this for this part of the story, but this is 17 pages long in my word document. For reference, I usually aim for my chapters to be 10 pages long. I really wanted to keep things moving, and now that a good portion of the exposition is out of the way, we can start building the framework of the story! So, we left off with Laslow explaining what's going on to Una. She decided to become Elise's retainer, which means she will have to keep her relationship with Laslow a secret again and learn to ride a wyvern. There will be a lot in the afterword, so stay tuned! **

* * *

Una felt herself sway on her feet the next morning as she prepared for the day ahead. She and Laslow had arrived back at Clarkenstein just a few hours before sunrise, meaning she had just barely closed her eyes when light shone through her windows. The only reason she got out of bed at all was thanks to Simone's insistent knocking and fresh set of clothes.

She had made herself a mental checklist while wrestling with her petticoat: she still needed to present herself to the King to become retainer, find a new uniform and set of armor, acquaint herself with a wyvern, somehow train herself how to use an axe…the list went on and on. It was odd how becoming a simple soldier seemed leagues more complicated than resuming her role as tactician. She sighed as she finished buttoning her vest. Una had started at the bottom once before. Who was to say she couldn't do it again?

The purple haired girl brightened at the sound of a chipper knock. She smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt and fluffed her hair to make sure her new ears were hidden, bouncing on her heels in anticipation. It was only when the knock came a second time that she composed herself and opened the door.

Laslow was much more casually dressed than he had been the day before. Gone were the quilted tunic and breastplate he donned earlier, instead replaced with a soft blue button up and tan vest. His slacks were a dark, chocolate brown that only made the powder shade of his top pop more. She unconsciously bit her lip as she looked him over; Nohr was a good look for him.

His face immediately caught on fire at the movement," G-Good morning, Una."

"Uh huh, good morning," Una teased, clicking the door shut behind her so that she could loop her arm in his," What is on the docket today, my friend? I already made my own mental checklist, so I have to make sure that my plan lines up with yours-," She nudged him when she caught a low chuckle," What's so funny?"

"You're five steps ahead, as usual," Laslow grinned," I don't know what I expected."

She felt her face fall into a pout; had he even been listening? The tactician decided to let it slide this once and shifted her energy into as tugging on his arm," So? The plan?"

"How about we start with breakfast?" The gray haired man suggested with a smirk. Gods, the dastard seemed to be relishing in her complete cluelessness. To think she was going to let him off the hook," We could get tea afterwards if you like."

The corner of her lips quirked teasingly," I am going to have to turn you down. Can't have people thinking I'm interested in you."

"…It seems that tea time is still an unachievable dream, then," He placed the back of his hand against his forehead dramatically," Woe is me."

Una prepped herself for a witty reply, but her attention was grabbed by the sound of chatter in the distance. Laslow seemed to follow, because he dropped her arm and tipped his head towards a door in the distance," Ladies first."

The purple haired girl nodded, forcing herself to march forward. She pushed the door open, a wave of clinking dishes and cheerful voices overtaking her. Gods, it felt like she was back at the barracks in Ylisse all over again. She could already imagine Sumia tripping on a crack and Vaike challenging Chrom to a fight. Her friends…did they miss her? Were they looking for her? She let out a shuddery sigh. Maybe she had made the wrong decision. What would they think when they found out she left them to work for a different country-

She felt herself shift back into reality when Laslow's warm hand snuck onto the small of her back," You okay?" He murmured, quiet enough that only she could hear it. Una blinked rapidly and sucked in a deep breath before nodding. Now was not the time to have a crisis. She could practically feel a supportive smile emerge from him," You're doing great. There's no need to worry about a thing."

"What if they don't like me?" Una whispered under her breath," What if they think I'm weird?"

Laslow snorted," Trust me, you are the most normal one here. You just have to find a table and introduce yourself-."

"So you stuck around?" Una felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach when an eerily familiar voice pierced the air," I have to say, I'm a little surprised. You seemed pretty shaken yesterday when you bolted."

The eighteen year old squared her shoulders before spinning on her heel to face Niles head on. It took every fiber of her being not to punch the smug look off his face," Look, I know you don't trust me, but you're just going to have to get over that. I'm here to stay, and that's-."

"They actually accepted you?" Niles stepped closer, using his height against hers," Were they impressed by your stuttering or how fast you can run away?"

Una only crossed her arms in response, refusing to back down," Is that what you showed them when you applied?"

"Okay!" She felt Laslow place a hand on her shoulder, his other mirroring the action onto Niles," This is getting a bit out of hand, is it not? Una is new, Niles. She's still settling in, and she cannot do that with people breathing down her neck. Perhaps you should go a little easier on her?"

Niles's killer glare flickered over to the hero," You're actually defending her? That's rich considering she's the one that-."

"That is not important," He replied airily, though something about what Niles implied cracked him a little.

"Sure," The archer drawled," Just because she's an attractive woman, she's going to get off scotch free for all of your-."

"Niles, drop it," Una startled, the dark shift in Laslow's voice completely jarring. She had never, ever heard him so serious before. Her gaze bounced between the two men, watching their silent, heated exchange. It was only after a minute of their intense stare off that Laslow continued as if nothing happened," It never happened."

The white haired man scoffed," It happens every-."

"I said to drop it."

"…Fine," Niles stuffed his hands in his pockets, using the action to ease some of the tension between them," But I still don't trust her."

Una frowned. If she was being completely honest, she didn't really care what Niles thought of her. Ever since their initial meeting the day before, she knew he was going to be a piece of work. It was Laslow's sudden flip into a threatening tone that concerned her. There was something he was keeping from her, and judging by the way he treated Niles, he wanted to keep it that way. She felt a shiver run down her spine; what could be so bad that Laslow couldn't tell her about it?

Before she could even think to ask, Laslow's bubbly persona returned," How could you say something so crude to someone so beautiful? It's no wonder you are single," Niles only rolled his eyes," Anywho, we should move on to other introductions. I know for a fact there will be a few faces here excited to see you!"

Una felt herself brighten up at this statement. After all the intense personalities she had dealt with, she was starting to think Elise was the only friendly person in Nohr," Really? Like who?"

"Well, for starters there's-."

"UNA!"

The purple haired girl had no time to react before a flash of yellow sped in front of her, wrapped their arms around her chest, and hoisted her into the air. She squeaked in surprise, frozen from the man's grasp. It seemed that getting ambushed, even with the best intentions, was not an abnormality in Nohr," Uh…Hello. It's nice to meet you."

The man laughed jubilantly, lowering her back onto her feet," Alas, old friend, we have already met!"

"We've already…," With her bearings regained, Una finally tipped her head up to get a glance at the man. He was dressed from head to toe in a yellow dark mage uniform, sporting a matching head of blond hair. She was sure she was going to have to turn the stranger down gently, but now that she got a good look at him, there _was_ something familiar. Maybe it was his smile? The resemblance to Lissa's was-

A gasp tore itself from her throat," Oh my gods, it's you! Ow-."

"-din," Laslow cut in quickly. His girlfriend shot him a confused look, only to receive a silent raise of the brow in return. Oh yeah. He mentioned they changed their names. _He just forgot to mention he hadn't come alone_, she thought with a touch of irritation. The only relief she regained was from the panicked expression on his face. Apparently he hadn't counted on Odin recognizing her so quickly.

Much to his horror, Niles was quick to catch on to the inconsistency," You two know each other?"

"We hail from the same war torn village!" Odin proclaimed, his arm wrapped tightly around the purple haired girl's shoulders," Lady Una was close companions with the guardians of Odin Dark! Aye, their bond was so unbreakable that she was named "honorary godmother"! That is right!" Odin continued loudly, ignoring Niles when he opened his mouth to speak," We may not be connected by blood, but we hold each other in spirit!"

Una stifled a giggle. It looked like Owain—Odin—hadn't changed at all.

He gave Una a look over, shortly followed by giving the same treatment towards Odin. Per expectation, Niles wasn't charmed," She looks younger than you."

"Her complexion is blessed by the gods that-," Odin cut himself off at second glance, his double take enough to keep him from finishing his monologue. Una prepared herself for an exuberant explanation and nearly jumped out of her skin when he uttered," Huh. Look at that," His irises bounced to Laslow," What did Selena say?"

"Ha…we haven't actually seen Selena yet."

Odin nodded slowly, placing his overdramatic persona on to give Niles a," Would you excuse us, my fellow retainer? It seems our compatriot here has been keeping secrets," Before grabbing both his friends and leading them towards the corner by their shoulders. Once they were out of earshot, he began the interrogation," Selena's going to vanquish you when she realizes you haven't told her about Una."

"It was an accident!" He whined," I swear I was going to bring her to Selena this morning, cross my heart. We only did just reunite last night, and you know how Lord Xander gets when Peri tells him I'm flirting-."

"I'm sorry," Una cut in, her hands gripping the bottom of her vest pensively. As amusing as his antics were, she was really getting tired of dancing around the point," Who is Selena?"

Little did she know her question would be answered almost immediately," Well look who we have here," The two men in front of her stiffened like a board at the vaguely familiar voice," Niles told me you were talking about me _behind my back_."

"…That was fast," Odin snorted, giving Laslow one hard pat on the back and uttering," Good luck," before stepping to the side to reveal the woman. There was something familiar about her as well, especially the voice. The Bow Knight had to be around the same age as Laslow and Odin, sporting a pair of red ponytails on each side of her head. Her eyes held a certain sharpness about them, reminding her of how cut and dry Cordelia-

Una's jaw nearly dropped to the floor," Severa?!"

"Shh!" The redhead hissed, sending a quick look behind them before chastising," You know we can't use our real names anymore, Una."

The two boys shared a confused look,"…So you did know that Una was back?"

"Of course I-," Selena froze, her head whipping back to face the purple haired girl in a millisecond. Apparently she _didn't_ know Una was back," Oh my gawds, you're actually here. You're really, actually here," She ran her hand through her bangs," I can't believe this. I thought…"

Her words trailed off, chin dipping in shame. Una didn't need to be a psychic to know what she was referring to. She gently reached forward and squeezed her hand, touched that she stuck around Laslow all the same," I know. It's okay."

"But…it's not okay!" Her softness was gone in an instance, her rage nearly tripled when facing Laslow and Odin again," She was alive all this time, and you never thought to tell me?! After all the years of hard work I put in and everything I had gone through-."

"Calm down, Selena," The Hero coaxed. Despite trying to ease her temper, the squeak in his voice wasn't doing a good job at making him appear cool," I promise I did not know until last night. We have only recently been reunited."

Selena huffed a tiny breath through her nose," Fine," Una was having a grand old time watching the redhead explode at the two boys until she yanked her hand away and set her fiery gaze on her," So where have you been, huh? Didn't you know we were looking for you? Didn't you care?"

"Of course I care! You cannot understand how happy I am to see you again-," Una cut herself off to bite her lip," Well, maybe you can. It has been four years for you."

Her little trail off seemed to grab Odin's attention," Hold, my friend. Did you say it has been four years for _us_?" Una felt a grimace spread across her face. For a tactician, she was seriously lacking tact," Has it not been the same for you?"

She sighed, using all of her might to keep a calm demeanor," When I talked to Laslow last night, we discovered that I haven't aged alongside you. The last thing I remember before waking up in Nohr was fighting Grima…and for me, that was two days ago."

Even in all the hustle and bustle of the dining hall, it felt as though you could hear a pin drop between the four. Odin's mouth kept opening and shutting, gaping like a fish in the water. Selena's surprise came in a vastly different form; It was as if the usually stoic face she kept had dropped just slightly. The two exchanged a glance before, oddly enough, turning to take in Laslow's reaction. His eyes were cemented onto the floor.

After what felt like an eternity, Odin finally spoke up," Perhaps we should discuss the depth of this in private."

0-0-0

By the time Una had finally made it to the stables, she was beyond exhausted. Her conversation with Selena and Odin had pattered off, ending with an invitation to have dinner at the latter's house. Apparently the first weekend of every month was reserved for the Belin siblings to visit Princess Amaris, their sister who lived in the Northern Fortress. Absolutely no retainers were permitted to accompany the royals for the event. The three said most of them treated it as a small vacation of sorts, but Una couldn't help but wonder why the princess was under such a heavy guard.

She was officially introduced to Peri, Xander's other retainer, and Arthur, the blond with a strong sense of justice. He kept dropping hints that he wanted the same position she was up for, something Una was surprised to find a little endearing. Part of her hoped that she would be able to work with him in the future. Kostas was brought up again, but apparently he was still on bedrest from yesterday's attack. Laslow assured her that they would meet soon, though he warned her that Elise's retainer shared a personality somewhat similar to Niles.

After breakfast, everyone broke off to do their own tasks. The three she had just reunited with switched back to accompany their lieges before sparring practice, and because Elise was not yet her vassal, Una was encouraged to find a wyvern that suited her. She talked herself up, whispering over and over again as she approached the stable that they were just big lizards. If Cherche could ride one, so could she!

A shiver ran down Una's spine the moment the door opened. The sound of wyverns screeching and snorting filled her ears. _Pegasuses were never this noisy_, Una grumbled in her head as she stiffly entered the room, _they just whinnied and stomped their hooves. These things are going to catch me on fire. _Una swallowed a shriek when one lurched towards her, the only thing keeping them apart was the chain connecting the beast to the wall. While she did manage to keep her scream inside, the unadulterated fear that shot through her caused her to collapse onto the ground. Gods, she was pathetic. Laslow was right. What was she thinking? _Her _riding a _wyvern_? Pigs would sooner fly.

"You fell."

This time, Una did a terrible job hiding her yelp when a pair of black boots appeared in front of her," S-Sorry!"

She probably would have broken down crying there and then if not for the gloved hand that reached out to help her up," Pull yourself together," The female voice commanded, though her tone wasn't laced with animosity. Una sniffled and accepted the gesture, taking what little kindness she could.

Una felt herself blink in surprise when she came face to face with her helper; the girl sported a hair of light blue hair kept mostly out of her gray eyes with a black band. She had sharp features that eluded to someone beyond their years, but there was something about her that screamed she was young. Una found herself wondering if they were the same age, something that gave her a smidgen of comfort now that her friends were all older than her.

The girl retracted her hand once Una was steady and turned around to soothe the wyvern. It squawked a few times, but was quick to nuzzle against her comforting hand. A pang of jealousy coursed through Una, a deep part of her desperately missing her own steed. She used to do the very same thing to Winnie when she was scared. Was the wyvern…scared?

Una steeled herself, using the small smidgen of hope from that the train of thought to motivate her," Do you work here?"

"I do," She replied shortly," What business do you have?"

"I came to pick out a new mount, and I was hoping you could help me," The aspiring malig knight explained," I am more accustomed to riding pegasuses, so I am unsure of what wyvern would suit me best."

The girl's hand stopped," So you are Hoshidan?"

"No, but I lived close to the border," While Una had been waiting for Laslow to arrive the night before, she borrowed a book from the library about Hoshido and its connections to Nohr. The book was old, so there wasn't anything about the current war they were in. However, she was able to find a map and conclude that she could explain away some of her oddities by close proximity. This seemed to work, because the blue haired girl became less tense.

What she wasn't prepared for was the wyvern rider's blunt response," You're scared of them."

"I-I'm not!"

"Stop bluffing, you're bad at it."

"…Fine," Una dragged her hand through her bangs," I am here because I need to get over my fears. I cannot excel if I'm not doing what's best for me, and right now, becoming a Malig Knight is what's best. If you're not going to help me, can you at least tell me which wyvern does not have an owner."

The girl didn't even turn around when she pointed in the corner," That one is all yours."

"Over there?" Una cautiously trudged forward, her nerves bubbling up inside at the idea of facing another wyvern alone. _Come on, Una, pull yourself together! _There was no way she would be successful as a dark knight with lack of sword skills, and becoming a troubadour who couldn't heal would just be embarrassing. This was her one shot, and she needed to-

Her heart softened when she found a smaller wyvern snoozing in the corner. His scales weren't dark like the rest of them, instead favoring a pale brown color. With the reflection of the sun against his scales, they seemed gold. He was about three quarters the size of the other wyverns, meaning she could still ride him if she pleased. It would just be a while until she would be able to have someone accompany her.

She found herself crouching on her knees to get a better look at him," Why is he so small?"

"He's the runt of the litter," The girl answered back from where she was mounting her own wyvern," No one will care if you take him."

"Thanks," Una called out, the sound of heavy footsteps exiting signaling that the girl had probably gone out for a ride. She used the newfound privacy to lightly pat the creature's snout," Hey there, little guy. You and I are going to work together, so please don't eat me."

The wyvern only snorted in its sleep as a response, eliciting a tiny giggle from the tactician. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

0-0-0

Elise was quick to reunite with her potential retainer later that afternoon. Una had barely left the stable when she was tackled into a hug by a blonde blur," Elise?" The girl only squealed as a response," Is everything alright?"

"I'm just excited!" She beamed, bouncing back to finally give her new friend some space," You're still going to be my retainer, right?" Una barely got a nod in before Elise exclaimed," Woohoo! I'm so happy!"

Una felt a small smile sneak across her own lips as she patted the princess's head," Me too. We just have to have your father approve it, then we will be all set."

"Oh, I know he will! He has to!" Elise bobbed her head confidently," I know how to pick my retainers. Well…I guess hiring Jeremiah was a mistake, but I didn't like him much anyways," She face lit up as another thought jumped into her head," Hey, you should meet Kostas! You two are going to be working together-."

"-If your father approves it-."

"-Which he will," The twelve year old perkily assured," Come on, come on, come on! We've got to meet Kostas before Olga kicks us out!"

Una could barely utter a response before getting snatched by the wrist and dragged down the hallway. It was almost as if Elise had planned this surprise ambush, because the infirmary happened to be the last door on the left. The walls lined with cots were mostly empty save for one at the very end. The princess let out an excited squeal before hauling Una along.

The man, most likely Kostas, allowed his eyes to flicker from the book he was reading to the pair fast approaching. The first thing that struck Una about him were his two vastly different colored irises: One brown, one green. They popped out against the tan shade of his skin and from underneath his messy brown locks.

Unlike Una, he seemed to expect Elise's fast approach. He snapped his book shut with a clap and set it on the bedside table before gripping each side of the bedframe. This would have seemed odd if not for Elise immediately launching herself onto the foot of his bed not a second later," Kostas! You're awake!"

"Lady Elise, I've been up all day," He replied through a tight jaw. No doubt the bounce of the mattress inflamed his wounds, but he seemed to being doing his best to hide it from his liege. After a few seconds spent on recovering, he let an impish smile slip onto his face," Did you forget that you visited earlier and asked if-."

"Kostas!" The blonde whined before bringing her voice down to a whisper," I thought we agreed that this would be spontaneous."

His smirk grew, eyes flickering towards Una to shoot her a subtle wink," My mistake. Didn't mean to let the new girl down," His voice dripped with mischief, causing the purple haired girl to hide a giggle behind her hand," Do you want me to start over?"

"Kostas!"

The brunet held his hands up in defense, eyes shining as his charge complained. If Una hadn't known any better, she would have mistaken their teasing relationship as one of siblings," What? I thought the bit was a lost cause. Oh well. No way to move but forward," He nodded his head at Una," My name is Kostas Morgan, retainer for little Lady Elise here," Said blonde stuck out her tongue," I know how this looks, but I couldn't let that asshole get a head start on Lady Elise."

Una curiously inched forward, settling herself onto the chair at his bedside," Jeremiah seemed a bit crazed, and tactically speaking, you were at a disadvantage. There's no need to fret."

This seemed to pique his interest," Tactically speaking, huh? What makes you say that?"

"When I was being introduced to everyone, someone mentioned that you were a skilled Trickster. That means you specialize in close range combat, something that Jeremiah seems to take advantage of with his javelin," Una drummed her fingers against her knee, silently praying that her observations wouldn't offend him," However, you have the upper hand of being a healer. I'm assuming that you planned on distracting him by taking a hit and planned to heal yourself."

Her eyes flickered anxiously between Kostas and Elise; the former was looking at her like she was a puzzle waiting to be solved with the Princess seemed as though she was being told an epic fantasy. Did they really find her predictions that interesting? Kostas's comment confirmed her suspicions," I'm impressed. Jeremiah and you seem to share a similar train of thought, which is why I assume he chose to bring his javelin to fight instead of a spear. I'm flattered that you guessed that I'd sacrifice myself to gain the element of surprise."

"…Did you not?"

"No, I absolutely did," His grin returned in a flash," It's worked before. I thought that if he got close enough to stab me that I could returned the gesture with one of my daggers."

It was time for Una's eyes to glisten in excitement," You can use daggers?"

"Mhm," Kostas hummed, one arm coaxing his knee up to rest on," It worked, too. What I didn't account for was that he wouldn't aim to kill, but instead to break my staff," He let out a frustrated huff," Dastard counted on me bleeding out before anyone could find me. Would've worked too if the stable girl hadn't found me."

Una heels bounced jovially. When Laslow had mentioned Kostas was similar to Niles, she had feared for the worst. How could he have not mentioned that Elise's other retainer had an interest in tactics?! She had been trying to accept the fact that'd she'd be the only one concerned with those matters, but thanks to this stranger, that wasn't the case anymore. She would love to pull on his ear and get some pointers from a Nohrian perspective.

"Wowee!" Elise's exclamation pulled the two from their thrilled retelling and back to reality," Kostas, you're so cool! Can you teach me how to heal myself so that I can try that move?"

"Absolutely not," Kostas ruffled her hair, earning another whine from the girl," Did you tune out the part where I lost the battle?" When the only answer she provided was an oblivious smile, he turned his attention back to Una," As soon as I'm patched up, I would love to test out your skills on the practice field."

The golden eyed girl sent back a cheeky smile," Just make sure you heal yourself up before we fight. I wouldn't want to put you back in the infirmary."

Kostas's cheshire cat grin only grew," Competitive, huh? We'll get along just fine," He involuntarily winced as Elise sprung off the bed to retrieve some fresh bandages," Oof, I think that's my cue to release you for the afternoon. Wouldn't want you to see my vulnerable spots."

"Your vulnerable spots?" She snorted. If this was truly the way he acted around his friends, she was sure they would get along just fine," Alright. I hope you feel better soon."

Una turned to leave the room, only stopping when she heard him offhandedly comment," By the way, you have beautiful eyes."

The purple haired girl resisted the urge to burst out laughing. Oh gods, it looked like she may have another Laslow around," You're going to have to try a lot harder to get me off my rhythm. Idle flattery doesn't work on me."

0-0-0

"So, Odin does not live in the castle when he is off guard duty," Una recounted as she and Laslow made their way towards their friend's house," Why is that again?"

"You'll see!" Her boyfriend chirped, using the same counter that he had every day until that point," Just be patient. I am positive you are going to love this surprise."

The rest of the week flew by, filled to the brim with training and history lessons to catch Una up. Every morning she woke up, visited Elise, and usually was sent to have breakfast were her friends in the retainers' quarters. Afterwards she returned to her "charge", was sent to the training grounds to practice, and sent to dinner. Kostas was healed in a couple of days, but instructed to take it easy by the head nurse, Olga. With his absence, Una tried to fill in where she could to help keep an eye on Elise. There had been no word on her status as retainer yet, so she decided to proceed as though she was still under consideration.

In between events she would either read more about Nohr and Hoshido to get a better understanding of her surroundings or spend time sitting with Thoron, her new wyvern. Most of the time he was asleep, but the few times he had been awake went smoothly enough. She had ridden him once with a huge amount of effort, but was too scared to go higher than a few meters off the ground. She only cried once when Thoron got a little excited and almost bit her hand off. She called that an achievement in itself.

There was also sneaking around their lieges to spend quality time with Laslow, but that was neither here nor there. Aside from his confrontation with Niles, not much had changed about her beau. He was still bubbly, flirtatious, and a bit shy. Despite all this, sometimes his upbeat attitude came across as forced. This became more apparent in the morning, but Laslow was quick to brush her off whenever she tried to bring it up. It seemed that he had picked up a few of her tricks when it came to avoiding a topic.

Despite her worries, Una really didn't want to start a fight. They had only been together again for a week, and she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Especially now that he seemed so excited about visiting Odin. Apparently "family dinners" were something the Ylisseans took seriously, and who was she to ruin the fun?

Una was pulled from her thoughts when they stopped in front of a quaint bakery," Ah, here we are! It already smells so good; Nova has really outdone herself this time."

"Hold on," The purple haired girl pulled Laslow's arm back to keep him from bouncing through the door," Who is Nova? A friend of yours?"

"A friend of _ours_," The hero corrected with a twinkle in his eye.

Una furrowed her brow at the implication of that," She's a friend of ours_ and_ she lives with Odin. That's a bit odd."

"Not necessarily," He hummed, his feet already headed towards the entrance again," They are married, after all."

"_Hold on_!" Una had to dig her heels into the dirt to keep Laslow from dragging her inside," You never told me that Odin was married!" The gray haired man only sent her a mischievous look before slipping his arm from her grasp to take her hand instead. His silly grin only gave her the same explanation that had played on repeat all week. _Just be patient. I am positive you are going to love this surprise._

Laslow managed to get her to the door, knocking a couple of times to gain the pair's attention. It only took a few of seconds for the door to open, revealing a young woman with deep black hair. Una couldn't shake the feeling that this had to be another traveler from Ylisse, but she couldn't quite put her finger on who it was. Her locks were fashioned in a bun on top of her head, a few loose strands framing her face, and bangs cut in a clean line. The soft ivory shade of her blouse stood out against her pale skin, only accentuated by the vibrant green shade of her skirt.

The young woman visibly lit up when she made eye contact with Una, a jubilant squeak accompanying it. Without warning, Una was pulled into a tight hug," It's so good to see you again! Odin told me that you had finally come back!"

Una awkwardly patted her back," It's good to see you too…," Her irises anxiously flickered towards Laslow, who was doing his best to keep from bursting into laughter. Her pathetic look was what finally broke him, prompting him to mouth _It's Noire._

If her eyebrows could have popped off of her head in shock, they would have. Una abruptly pulled away, giving the girl a second look over. Now that she knew who Nova was, she could recognize the girl's pointed chin and lavender eyes. The biggest difference, however, was the lack of fear in her demeanor. Was this the same girl who had once asked her to be her mom? Noire had always been such a skittish girl, so seeing her so _alive_ brought a surge of warmth to Una's heart," It's good to see you too."

Nova's elated grin only heightened her reaction," Come inside, i-it's chilly out here," She lead the pair through the shop to a set of stairs in the corner, motioning for them to head up. Laslow eagerly took went ahead, and after a silent prompt from Nova, Una followed suit.

Their little apartment was quaint, much to Una's surprise. She didn't really know what she was expecting, but having someone as eccentric as Odin made her think it would be a bit chaotic. Add Nova's own eccentricity onto that and the apartment should have been bursting at the seams with novelties. Little did she know how true that prediction would turn out to be: The house held a myriad of mismatched furniture and was bursting at the seams with clutter. There was a large, knit blanket draped over the couch, but the rectangular shapes underneath eluded to books underneath. It was almost as if they forgot they were having company tonight and haphazardly tried to clean.

The kitchen in the corner was a complete mess, a mixture of dinner preparations and what looked to be pastries. Did Nova own the bakery downstairs? She had mentioned before that she enjoyed making desserts. In the opposite corner sat a desk, equally as cluttered as the kitchen. There were papers scattered all over, dozens of quills, and a few stains that signaled spilled ink. One look at the long lists of names and Una knew that belonged to Odin.

"Una!" Speak of the devil. The purple haired girl lit up when the former mercenary entered from a bedroom, thankfully devoid of his usual dark mage outfit. He had settled on a pale yellow tunic with black slacks today, opting for a more casual overall look. It seemed much more on par with something he'd wear in Ylisse," Welcome to our humble dwelling."

"I'm here too," Laslow hummed, his feet already on autopilot towards the kitchen. His friend intercepted him easily, spinning the gray haired man away to sit on the couch," Hey, I was just going for a taste!"

"You can wait," Nova chastised," I was hoping you'd be better behaved now that Una's here."

He gasped," I am well behaved!"

"Uh huh, sure," Una said, settling to sit next to him. Her boyfriend sent her a faux annoyed look, but quickly gave in to wrap an arm around her waist. Odin sat across from them on the armchair, beckoning Nova over to sit on his lap. She held up a finger to check on the food before settling into her husband's grasp.

The concept of them being together was completely foreign to Una, but now that she really looked at them, she couldn't deny the love they held for each other. Odin, the epitome of bursting energy, was softer around his wife. Nova balanced this out perfectly by showing how relaxed she was, something the Noire of the past never could have experienced. It made her heart sing with joy that they had found happiness after the war.

"Oh, I forgot to ask!" Nova broke the silence to ask her husband a question," Are Selena and Niles coming tonight as well?"

Niles? Una blinked in surprise. She knew that Odin and Niles were fellow retainers for Leo, but she had no idea they were close enough for him to get invited to dinner. Odin didn't seem to notice her confusion and answered easily," Because of our dear friend Una's adjustment to Nohr, we have come to the conclusion that Niles will join us next month. It took hours of pleading to convince him to concede. By the way, we owe him a week's worth of bread," He added in a simpler tone, earning a playful glare from his wife," What was a man supposed to do? After all, my glorious godmother is still unaware of many things because Laslow has been keeping secrets."

"Really?" Una giggled when Nova deadpanned," Laslow, must you make everything into a game?"

"Come now, Nova," He soothed," I meant no ill will! I am only trying to make the best out of an…err…odd situation."

"What he means to say is that he is relishing my cluelessness."

Laslow's hand jumped onto his chest as he mocked offense," Such harsh words! How shall I ever recover from that low blow?"

The black haired woman only sighed, ignoring the mercenary's theatrics," Odin said as much. He also told me that you were not brought here at the same time as the rest of us," Una's shoulders sank in relief when Nova continued simply," That must mean you have a lot to catch up on, huh?"

The tactician straightened up in excitement, a million questions rushing through her mind," I actually do! Do you mind if I ask?" Both Odin and Nova shook their heads," Thank goodness! So…you're married now? When did that happen?"

They exchanged a look before Odin answered," It was two and a half years ago on a glorious, starry night. We exchanged vows full of our deepest emotions before consummating our marriage-."

"Y-You don't have to say that part!" Nova squeaked, her normally pale face shifting bright pink as she bashfully shoved her hand over his lips," W-What he means to say is t-that we married soon after coming t-to Nohr."

Una's eyes unconsciously slid to glance at Laslow," Was it hard since you both work for the royal family?"

"Oh, I never worked for them!" The young woman's fists gathered up in her skirt as she turned even pinker," I couldn't imagine doing so in my condition."

"Your…condition?"

In unison, both Odin and Nova's jaws dropped. Odin was quick to turn his attention to Laslow, who looked like he had just stolen the last cookie in the jar," You didn't tell her?"

Laslow grinned cheekily, not a hint of guilt in his eyes," I wanted her to be a surprise. I am unsure if you're aware of this or not, but Una," He brought his voice down to playfully whisper, bringing his hand up to hide his lips," loves babies."

Una sat up in a second, spinning around in her seat to look her boyfriend in the eyes. A baby? There was a baby?! He chuckled at her eager response before tilting his head towards the bedroom. The purple haired girl whipped back around and had to bite back an excited squeal. Nova, who had snuck out the moment Una turned away, reentered the room hand in hand with a tiny blonde girl. She definitely inherited her father's hair color, but her face and eyes were extremely reminiscent of her mother. She toddled along, sporting a warm yellow nightgown with her thumb situated between her lips. It was a little girl! Oh my gods, Odin and Nova were parents! The eighteen year old's hands shot to cover her mouth, tears already welling in her eyes.

Nova giggled at her expression," Do you want to hold her?" Una, unable to form coherent words, merely nodded. The mother wrapped her arms around the toddler, scooping her from the ground onto the purple haired woman's lap," Ophelia, this is your Aunt Una! Say hello!"

Ophelia removed her thumb from her mouth to wave cheerfully," Hi!"

"Oh my gods!" Within a second, Una had enveloped the little girl into a hug. The adults around the room chuckled at her antics, happy to see their usually composed friend turn into an babbling mess," She's so adorable! Oh, I'm going to spoil her rotten!"

"You and Selena both," Odin grinned before sending a playful look towards Laslow," By the way, when should we expect a playmate for her from you two?"

Laslow's cheeks burst bright red, stuttering under the amused gazes of his two friends," Uh, well we—we eventually want to—we're actually not married yet—not that that stopped you two, but—we only just reunited—not that I don't want kids with Una, I _really_ do-."

Una rolled her eyes fondly before settling back against Laslow's chest, taking her new honorary niece along with her. It seemed to work, because he softened at the sight of his girlfriend with a toddler snug in her arms. By this point, the two year old's eyes were growing heavy and it seemed she would fall asleep at any moment. It took herculean strength not to coo about how precious the girl was.

That was it. She knew that visiting Odin and Nova was supposed to be for catching up, but her visit had solidified something completely different in her. She wanted what they had, and she wanted it with Laslow.

She sighed. All she had to do was get the shy man to propose.

0-0-0

"Big sister, I had an odd dream last night."

Mari watched pensively as Camilla paused just as her lips touched the brim of her teacup, eventually deciding to place it back down instead of take a sip. Elise had just gone to sleep, and with Leo and Xander chatting with Gunter, now was the perfect time to bring up the strange vision she had. Camilla softened, giving her the very maternal look she had been longing to see for the past month," Tell me all about it, dear."

The fifteen year old bounced in her seat happily, taking a quick gulp of her tea before unveiling her thoughts," Okay, so I dreamt that I was on the edge of this deep canyon in a dark storm. It would have been scary, but I wasn't alone."

Camilla slowly rose her eyebrow in amusement," You weren't?"

"Nope!" Mari clasped her hands together," There were two other girls around my age with me! I can't really recall what they looked like, but they had yellow eyes – just like mine! Jakob was there too, but I…How can I explain this?" The dark haired girl tapped her chin before snapping her fingers," I know! I felt completely at ease with them. It was kind of like being there at the exact moment was something I am destined to do."

Camilla's expression stiffened a little at this, and if Mari didn't know her sister well, she wouldn't have been able to notice the change in behavior at all," Don't you feel at ease here as well? If somebody is bothering you, I will put a stop to it at once-."

"No, there's nothing to worry about, big sister," Mari sighed. Jakob and Flora had the exact same response earlier when she told them about the dream, saying that they would buckle down on security to make sure she felt safe. She smiled and thanked them for their diligence, but a small part of her wished they understood her. That was why she had been so excited to tell Camilla, but it looked like her maternal instincts were getting the best of her again," It was just a dream. Weird, huh?"

Her eyes flickered up to sneak a glance at Camilla, curious at the analytical look glimmering in her sister's irises," These two girls you mentioned; you said they had yellow eyes?"

Mari bobbed her head," Yes, and one had a golden wyvern. Why?" She straightened, finally piecing together why Camilla was acting so strange," Big sister, do you know who she is?"

* * *

**Biggest takeaway from this chapter; WE HAVE BABY OPHELIA! Okay, so now we all (sort of) know why Nova (Noire) came to Nohr and why I wanted her and Odin to form a relationship early on. I need Ophelia in my life, and it made the most sense to me for her to be born first. This doesn't necessarily mean she will be the oldest because deeprealms are still a thing, but she will be up there! I made the decision to keep her blonde because I think that color suits her the best, but I compromised by giving her her mother's eyes. Speaking of, we've got our Ylissean quintet fully introduced! We've had a bit of time with Laslow and Una already, but I couldn't wait to bring Odin, Selena, and Nova back into the story. We will definitely be seeing more of them later in the story, so stay tuned! I'm doing my best to include all of the retainers in early on (with the exception of Effie, who will be arriving later). I feel like there should be more of them, but each one was at least mentioned in this chapter (the only one not mentioned by name was wyvern girl, and we all know who she is). Kostas! Kostas! Kostas! So now that he has been formerly introduced, I want to throw out there that I love Kostas. He is a trickster because I wanted to give him a rouge-ish class and sniper was taken by Niles. Him and Una are basically going to be best friends. He plays a big role in the prologue chapters (1-10ish?) and you'll see him a lot because, obviously, there will be a point in time where he is not Elise's retainer anymore. ****Amaris, or Mari for short, is our Corrin for this story! I took some liberties with her appearance, such as making her hair black and eyes yellow. I like the red eyes, but for the sake of her relation to Azura, I wanted to make yellow eyes a dragon thing. She's going to be the bubbliest person ever, I can't wait for her to become a regular character! She had a dream about Azura and Una, but why was that? Also, Camilla 100% knows who her sister is referring to. Her interest in Una is going to increase pretty dramatically. Finally, Una has a wyvern! I wrestled between making Una a special case and giving her a different pegasus or forcing her to ride a wyvern, and I chose the wyvern. His name is Thoron, and he is a big cutie. Una is still scared of him, but she's going to have to get over her fear eventually. **

**What I Changed Time! (I'm sorry if these are boring. I like rereading how things changed, so this is a favor for future me). Right off the bat the beginning of this chapter changed because I wanted Garon to be involved in Una's becoming a retainer. I also find it unlikely that she would get placed in the role without a test. It takes out Xander's introduction, but he'll come in the next chapter so it's all fine. The other big change was the addition of Kostas! That part of the chapter is a completely new addition for this story to help boost the plot. I think that he and Simone are the only two substantial OCs planned, but who knows? I may find the need to add someone new later. Finally, there were a few cosmetic changes. Odin and Nova's house is a bit more cluttered than the original (I don't know what I was thinking. Why would a duo as chaotic as them have a normal house?. Mari's dream is a bit more vague because if she recognized Azure and Una off the bat, it would change their introductions. **

**Alright, review time!**

**dulcetly:**** Thank you so much! I noticed you also left a few nice comments on "Glib Banter", so thank you for that as well! It's fun to watch people's reactions as they reread a story, especially once they know how it's going to end. I'm glad you're invested in this story, because the thing that scares me about "Wait for Me" is how much I'm changing Fates. I hope you all enjoy it, because I'm having a fun time doing some world building! Thanks again for your reviews!**

**We have our first mission next week, and yes, I'm changing part of the story again to get a familiar face in earlier than normal. Can you guess who it is (If you read the earlier version of the story, it's the same person)? Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you next week!**

**-Uprisingdragon**


	5. Chapter 5: A Tragic Start

**Hey guys! We actually have an in game thing happening in this chapter, though it is out of the context of the game. I really wanted to introduce this character early for important reasons (which you may guess while reading), plus it finally gets to put Una in the action! To catch everyone up to speed, Una is Elise's trial retainer! Xander and Garon have to approve her first, but seeing that it's Una, there's nothing to worry about...right? Una has a wyvern now, Thoron (named lovingly after her favorite tome), but she hasn't mastered flying him or using an axe. We also got introduced to Princess Mari, who is having strange dreams about a girl matching Una's description. Weird, huh? Happy reading!**

* * *

Una rolled her shoulder, sweat rolling down her brow as she stared down her opponent. He was fast, that was for sure. She was positive that if she had a lance in her grasp instead of the bulky axe, he would be on the ground in seconds. Unfortunately, her new weapon was still unfamiliar in her hands. She was scraping the bottom of the barrel at this point, using what little knowledge she picked up from "Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour" to keep on her toes.

Her grip tightened around the hilt of her axe, eyes zeroed in on the enemy as they sauntered forward. He wasn't even taking it seriously, something that would usually amuse her if she wasn't so exhausted. She needed to gain the upper hand, and fast. Una took a deep breath and smoothed her wet bangs back to sit atop her head before placing on a smile," You look very handsome when you're training, Laslow."

The gray haired man grinned, flipping the practice sword into the air as she killed time," Good effort, but you cannot distract me that easily."

"What a shame," She teased back," And here I thought we were forming a connection."

Laslow sent back a cheeky wink," I apologize, but we all know what certain blue haired prince I really have my eyes on."

Una felt her smile widen. She knew that he was turning her strategy right back onto her, but the fact that he remembered their inside joke made her heart melt. Her boyfriend seemed aware of the effect as well, because he wasted no time in lurching forward to stab at her.

The purple haired girl had exactly two seconds to process the quick change before jumping back, missing the edge of his blade by a centimeter. Her feet slid across the dirt, bringing a cloud of dust up with them. Una shifted her balance to regain her footing. Once secure, she used the momentum of her axe to swing forward, the two wooden weapons clashing with surprising might. Laslow parried just as quickly as she had, though this time used his height as an advantage to try and push her onto the ground.

Una gritted her teeth as her knees trembled against his force. If she didn't get the sword out of his hands, he would gain the upper hand and most likely win. So how was she supposed to do that? Both her hands were already fastened around the hilt of her axe, using all of her strength to deflect his offense. She could headbutt him, but she liked to save that particularly painful out for the real battlefield. That left one option.

She kicked her left leg up to collide into his right elbow, causing his sword to jump from Laslow's grasp. Una acted quick, swinging her axe back to crash onto his vulnerable upper body. What she didn't account for was for him to snatch the sword in his left hand and point it right into her stomach, dealing what would have been a killing blow if they hadn't been practicing.

Una huffed, dropping her axe behind her head in defeat," Since when did you become ambidextrous?"

"You doubt my skill and ambition?" His girlfriend merely rose her brow as she fetched her skin of water from against the barrack's wall. All it took was one disapproving look for Laslow to crack," I had a door slam against my right hand and break one of my fingers. It was either become left handed or get replaced."

She grinned, tossing the skin at him for him to drink," Well, it is impressive nonetheless."

This comment was what set his cheeks ablaze," N-Not as impressive as how quickly you are picking up using the axe!" Laslow had made it his personal mission to teach her the new fighting weapon, and since she didn't really have anyone else to turn to, she accepted his proposal. At first she assumed that their practices would consist of him mostly flirting and goofing around, but he was consistently proving her wrong. While on the outside he appeared as a philanderer with no real ambition, Una could clearly see how seriously he took his title as retainer. He had grown up so much since she last saw him, and while all of the changes had been for the better, Una couldn't shake the guilt that accompanied her thoughts.

"Laslow," The two perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Said man straightened up right away, something Una had only seen him do for two things; women, and authority figures. Seeing how deep the voice was, Una assumed it was the latter.

What she didn't expect to see was Elise trotting behind a fit, blonde man with Leo close at her heels. The royal family was expected to attend monthly court holdings once they came of age, and now that Elise's birthday had passed, she was finally old enough to go. Judging by the drained looks on her brother's face, it didn't go well.

Laslow stabbed his practice sword into the ground and grinned," Good afternoon, Lord Xander! Come to sweep me away?"

Lord Xander? Una was glad she tossed the drink away because it would have dropped from her hands in shock. _This_ was the man Laslow worked for? One look over left her a little speechless: he seemed a great deal more stern than she would have expected Laslow to get along with.

"We have a mission, and we must leave in one day's time," Una watched as her boyfriend's happy-go-lucky mask hardened," A group of faceless have strayed too far from Hoshido's fortress at the border. They are headed towards a defenseless town, so it is our duty to protect the villagers."

Una furrowed her brow. What the hell was a faceless?

"And I'm going too!"

The eighteen year old's mind jumped from confusion to mortification in less than a second. While she still didn't know what a faceless was, she was absolutely positive that Elise should be nowhere near one," Um…are you sure about that?"

The princess bobbed her head confidently," Uh huh! I've been practicing my healing staffs, and Olga said that I've made good progress!" She placed her hands on her hips," What better place to practice than in real life?"

"There's a difference between "real life" and "the battlefield"," Leo pinched the bridge of his nose. In the past couple of weeks Una had been retainer for Elise, she had learned the two siblings had an odd relationship. Aside from the mysterious Princess Amaris, Leo and Elise were the closest in age. Odin said that his liege liked to look out for his little sister, even if he didn't know how to emote it. When he caught the desperate look his sister sent him, the blond's shoulders sank in defeat," Fine. I have been out of practice anyway."

His sister's eyes lit up," You're coming too? Yay! This will be twice as fun now!" Elise fluttered her eyelashes at her older brother," You can't say no to both of us!"

Xander shot Leo a glare, but with the two siblings outweighing the one, he had already lost the battle," We leave tomorrow morning at dawn. Inform your retainers to prepare them for the march. Una," The purple haired girl flinched," Stay back. I would like to speak with you in private."

Her heart dropped in her stomach. She should not have been surprised that Xander knew who she was; Elise had told everyone within earshot that she was destined to be the next retainer for the royal family. Nevertheless, the fact that she had not been approached yet did not sit well with her. She felt that had grown a lot over the past two weeks she had been in Nohr, but she still had a sickening feeling Xander did not trust her to protect his sister. Laslow tried to reassure her, saying that his stoic exterior was normal for the prince. Una couldn't help but disagree. She had dealt with "stoic exteriors" before, and the calculated glares from a distance the oldest brother sent her did not fall into that category.

Nonetheless, she sent Elise a supportive smile as her liege skipped away. Leo gave her a polite farewell nod, and with a bit of silent coaxing from Xander, Laslow managed to slip away as well. The blond waited until all were out of earshot to finally speak up," I have concerns about your skill level."

Even though part of her knew this was where the conversation was going, Una couldn't help but feel a touch offended at his suggestion. Had Niles or Camilla approached him? Ooh, she would make them regret it if they did," I don't know what you're talking about."

"Cockiness does not suit you," He replied smoothly, unaware that the girl's face started burning red with anger," I feel that it would be best suited if we found a temporary retainer to accompany Elise to-."

"That won't be necessary," Una cut off, nearly past the point of reason," I don't understand how you would feel safer appointing a stranger to protect your youngest sister, _who was almost assassinated_, I may add. I also do not know if it is my age, my stature, or the way I act that has set off a red flag for you. Please tell me now so that I may improve upon it, because neither Elise or Kostas have mentioned my lack of skill before now," Despite trying to be the bigger person, she felt herself grit out that last sentence.

Xander could only stare at her blankly. Was he not expecting her to fight back? Una bit back a scoff. This prince has probably never been turned down in his life. In her opinion, he needed a good kick in the pants.

At least, that was what she thought until his eyes narrowed and made her regret every life decision she had made up until that point," View this as a test, then. If you prove yourself, you may keep your position as Elise's retainer. And if you fail-."

"That's not going to happen, I assure you."

She nearly choked when she saw a ghost of a smile flicker on Xander's face," I shall hope not."

0-0-0

If Laslow was being completely honest with himself, he was a little nervous about this upcoming battle.

It was not because he was scared of faceless; he had been around those wretched creatures long enough to grow accustomed to them. He didn't like the idea that they could arrive too late, but that was part of working for the Nohrian Army. Laslow had no doubt in his mind that Xander had personally taken up this mission because Iago refused to provide support for it.

No, what terrified him was Una's presence in the fight. The last time they had gone into battle together, she disappeared. Aditya had given her a second chance, but how willing was he to let her live on? Had she already played her purpose in that wretched dragon's plan? He may have felt more comfortable if it were five years prior, but he had no idea what Una's capabilities were anymore. Add onto that the fact she was riding something she was terrified of and wielding a weapon she could barely lift…

The gray haired man shook his head with a low groan. There was no room for thoughts like those. He knew Una, and he knew she was capable of protecting herself. He just couldn't bring himself to shake those worries. What he wouldn't give to have the naivety his seventeen year old self had.

"Someone's sleepy!" Peri chimed, effectively pulling her partner from his downward spiral," If you don't wake up in time for our battle, you're going to get decapitated!"

Laslow merely shrugged. He was far too used to Peri's oddities at this point to be shaken by them anymore," I'm awake, I promise. Just lost in thought."

The bicolor haired woman rolled her eyes," Let me guess; you're thinking about a girl."

"Am I that easy to read?"

"You're always thinking about a girl."

He felt himself pout," Not _always_."

"Don't worry! I'll take your mind off it," Peri heaved her saddle onto Horsey with a beam," Did you hear that Lady Elise's new retainer is coming along? Niles told me she could barely ride her wyvern," Laslow could practically taste the irony in this conversation," Do you think she's going to di-."

"I'll be fine, thank you very much," Peri's smile dropped the second Una's voice pierced through the room. His girlfriend had finally traded the set of Nohrian clothing she was gifted for a pair of navy slacks and matching military jacket. She had a golden band tied around the top of her head to keep her hair out of the way and cover her ears at the same time. Thankfully she had set of black armor on top for protection, though the fact that her thighs were still vulnerable made him anxious. Why? He wasn't sure. She wore less armor when she was a dark flier and was completely fine. He felt himself bite back a grimace; Since when had he turned into his mother?

Una tucked the top layer of her hair into a small ponytail, sending him a warm smile," Hey, can I borrow one of your axes? I could only find bronze ones and I think I'd do more damage with an iron," She lowered her voice," At least, that's what you told me after our last practice."

"You remembered," He managed to swallow his anxiety long enough to place on a signature grin," I have an old axe in my quarters. Would you like me to fetch it?"

"Nope, I can get it!" For a split second, Laslow was convinced she was going to kiss him on the cheek. She seemed to catch herself just in time, however, and awkwardly patted his head instead," Thanks, friend!"

It took everything he had not to burst into laughter. For someone so smart, Una could really be oblivious sometimes," We could be more than friends, my lady."

"I think you need to wake up a little more, because you're obviously still dreaming," She shot back as she walked away. Ah, and the old Una was back with a vengeance. It vaguely reminded him of their banter back when they first met. Talking to her like this was almost like they hadn't gone through their own separate hells. It was…nostalgic. He felt his flirtatious grin soften into something he was positive looked absolutely dopey. At least she was right about one thing; she was the girl of his dreams. Damn, he should have used that line on her. She would've gotten a kick out of it.

He wasn't sure how long he watched her go, but an uncomfortable cough pulled him from his thoughts," So you like the new girl, huh?"

Just like that, Laslow's cheeks were on fire. How had Peri figured him out so quickly? It took herculean strength to keep a straight face," Peri, my dear, I flirt with beautiful ladies all the time. Nothing sets Una apart from the rest."

Peri only laughed as she mounted her horse," You're too easy to read, Lazzy!"

Laslow could only gawk as she trotted out of the stables, leaving him behind in her dust," Hold on, what does that even mean?"

0-0-0

To say Una was in a crisis would be an understatement. Before they left for their mission, Camilla sauntered up with Selena and the blue haired girl from the stables right behind her. Una swore the princess shot her a look before informing Xander she'd be tagging along for their little trip. This did nothing to soothe the other siblings, what with Xander already stressed. With Leo's annoyance and Elise's stress, the mission was sure to fall apart the second they set foot on the battlefield.

And fall apart it did.

When they arrived at the village, it was already up in flames. The soft grass that accompanied the town due to its proximity to the border was already smoldering, soon to match the barren wasteland the rest of the country held. It was strangely quiet, aside from the grunts and growls in the distance.

It was Camilla's voice that broke the silence, her shock prevalent," Oh gods."

They were too late. They were _never_ late in Ylisse, and maybe if they had left a little earlier—Una found herself rubbing small circles into Thoron's neck to keep herself grounded. Nohr was a different place, and she had to get into that mindset if she was going to survive. Whether they liked it or not, they were in another war. Casualties came hand in hand with that.

"Hold on!" Elise pointed in the distance to a small blur about a mile away from the rest of the town," There's a survivor! We should go after her!"

"Don't be silly," Camilla sighed, as if every thing that her sister brought up took ten years off her life," We should search the town for survivors. If there is a chance we could save someone, I feel we should take it."

"This is ridiculous," Una's eyebrow involuntarily twitched when Leo spoke up," By the time we reach them, they'll be dead. I say we round up the beasts and bring them back to Windmire for Iago to deal with."

"But the girl-."

"There might be villagers-."

"If that useless mage had kept a tighter hold on those beasts, then we wouldn't-."

"She's in trouble!"

"What if there are children in those houses?"

"It's silent! Everyone is dead!"

"Quiet!" Xander boomed, effectively silencing his three siblings bickering," We need to report this to father. As commander of this mission, I say that we head back to Windmire and form a plan from there. Are we all in agreement?"

His younger siblings shared a challenging look with each other before breaking off in three different directions. Camilla mounted her wyvern and took off into the air towards the buildings, Selena and the blue haired girl, Beruka, close on her heels. Leo had given a subtle nod to Odin and Niles before heading towards the river where a blur of gray was congregating. And, much to Una's horror, Elise spun around and sped to aid the girl. Kostas, now back on his feet after a full recovery, sent Una an exasperated look before taking off after the little girl.

All Xander could do was stare in alarm.

Una ran her hand through her bangs in frustration. Had they even thought to bring a tactician? How had their plans gone before then? Honestly, it was no wonder the village was already in flames, what with these four royals in charge. It looked like it was up to her to smooth over this mess," Peri, you go assist Camilla with helping the villagers. Tell her and Beruka to fly and survivors to safety while you and Selena fight off the surrounding faceless. Laslow, you go after Leo. It looks like the majority of Risen have settled in that area, and they'll need all the help they can get. Xander, you're with me. We're going after Elise to save that girl. Any objections," While Xander and Peri were staring at her in shock, she could feel the glow of Laslow's pride from a mile away," Good. Let's go!"

The eighteen year old honestly didn't even wait for Xander to take off into the air, using the lack of terrain to catch up to her liege. Part of her was expecting the Prince to ignore her orders and give her a stern talking to when she was back on ground, but that was a problem for later. Now, she needed to focus on saving Elise.

Thankfully, it wasn't too hard to catch up to the princess. She thanked the gods that Kostas had managed to catch up and was now firmly situated on the back of her steed," Elise! Please don't run off on your own like that! You could get in trouble."

The blonde kept her determined gaze forward as her horse trotted ahead," Don't worry about me, Una! I know how to take care of myself. Besides, Kostas is here to keep me out of trouble!"

With the other three royals out of sight, Kostas easily reverted back to his teasing self by pinching Elise's cheek," Bobbie's right, princess. Separating yourself from the group is not a good decision, especially taking that fact that you are weaponless into consideration."

Una didn't know whether to be more shocked at the sudden nickname or his surprisingly tact answer. She decided to tuck away the latter question for later," Bobbie?"

Kostas absently waved his hand, releasing the blonde's sore cheek in the process," It matches your hair. Why? I can try to come up with something better, but we'd have to get to know each other-," The trickster was cut off by a deafening growl," You know what? Let's put a pin in this conversation."

Una spun around behind them, only to find a massive humanoid beast with sickening green skin on the approach. Its face was undiscernible under the large, spotted mask it wore, plumes of green smoke oozing from it. This was _nothing _like a risen, or even those invisible warthogs they had fought in Valm. This thing was a monster.

The purple haired girl unhooked her axe from her back, her eyes set on the creature in determination," Kostas, take Elise ahead to save the villager. I'll take care of this."

She held her staff up to hide behind," What? By yourself?!"

"I'll be fine," She murmured, already analyzing what the monster's weakness could be. It wore a mask and chains around its wrists, but aside from that, there was no armor. That meant the skin had to be thick enough to serve as protection, especially since it was protecting it's grotesque muscular form. She didn't to imagine how many times you would have to stab it to take it down. It looked like her best chance sat in taking its head off.

Seeing that Elise was frozen firmly in her spot, the Malig Knight sent Kostas a desperate look. He matched her gaze with an emotion she couldn't quite place, but quickly snagged the reigns from his liege and steered the two of them to safety. Good. With Elise out of the way, she could focus in.

Una let out a battle cry before leading her wyvern forward, swinging her axe towards the monster. It made a strangled noise before taking one of the chains around it's wrist and tossing it at her weapon, wrapping the loose end around her hilt. It pulled weakly first, nearly taking the axe from her grip with a minimal amount of effort. If it tried to take it again, there was no doubt in her mind that she would lose her hold. Her safest bet was getting the creature to let go first.

The purple haired girl slid her entire left arm so that it was hugging the axe, using her now free hand to flip open a lightning tomb. She chanted the spell under her breath, waiting until her fingers were crackling with energy to slap them onto the hilt. Just as predicted, the metal of the chain and her axe acted as a conductor and sent a powerful wave of electricity straight at the beast. It screamed in pain before collapsing onto the ground, unfortunately taking the chain and her axe along with it.

Una pouted; It looked like she owed Laslow a new weapon.

She tugged on Thoron's reigns, a little surprised by how eagerly the wyvern reacted. The golden dragon took off without a second command, acting as if it could read her mind. Where had this been when they were practicing? The last time they had flown together, Thoron got too excited and bucked her off into a tree. Now that they were on the battlefield, he was acting like a trained veteran. Part of her wished Niles was watching so that he could eat his own words.

Una had just made it out from the tree line when the sight of another faceless approaching Kostas and Elise. The younger girl had hopped off her horse to tend to what seemed like a bundle of fabric, leaving the male retainer to fend the beast off on his own. He seemed to be doing well enough, but the appreciative glean in his eyes when she came into view was appreciated," You okay, daredevil?"

"Daredevil?" The purple haired girl bit back a smile as she swooped down to pick him up. Thoron whined a little at the added weight, and Kostas had to press himself completely against her back to keep from slipping off," Nevermind. Is that the villager?"

"Yeah, she's a timid thing," He replied flippantly, whipping a dagger from his back to shoot at the faceless's mask," I see you're missing an axe."

"…It was a tactical sacrifice."

"You mean you dropped it?"

"I can use magic!" Una assured shrilly," Who needs an axe anyway?"

Kostas snorted as the former tactician proved her point by shooting down the monster," Whatever you say, Shortcake. Just don't come crying to me when you need bullions to buy-."

Everything next happened in a blur; A frightened shriek erupted from Elise, yanking the pair's attention behind them. While they had been focused on taking the faceless in front of them down, another had snuck up to attack the princess. When Una instinctively reached out, a bolt of lightning even stronger than the one against Jeremiah shot from her hand. It sped several meters ahead, much farther than any bolt could ever dream to make it, only stopping when it pierced right through the faceless's head. It was only when the monster dropped and her vision began to clear that she realized her line of sight had begun clouding red.

Una numbly watched as Elise sent her a thankful wave, oblivious to the inner turmoil her retainer was going through. She resumed tending to the girl, who was huddled into herself and shaking like a leaf. Elise immediately began fussing over her to see if she needed any healing, but her cheerful chatter was a blur to Una.

…How had this happened?

A slight shift against her back served as a brutal reminder that she wasn't alone. Una slowly brought her gaze to the man sitting behind her, gulping when she found his eyes wide with shock. It was easy to explain the matter off to Elise, who knew nothing about magic. Kostas, while easy going in nature, was giving her a look that confirmed he'd be a much, much harder sell.

"Una, Kostas," The tactician could only muster a blink when Xander slowed his horse below them. She managed to gather her bearings enough to land Thoron and slide off to greet the Prince," I see Elise arrived safely, thanks to two of you. Una, you said you were proficient in tomes, but you failed to mention your abilities in-," Her heart plummeted; He was going to bring up the impossible magic. Oh gods, how was she supposed to explain that one away? Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of her tunic,"-tactics. You have a good head on your shoulders."

…Tactics? Una had to rack her memories for any time he would have seen her in action. He seemed to sense her confusion, because he elaborated," You provided a well thought out plan earlier, and your quick thinking no doubt saved my younger siblings."

Now this wasn't what she was expecting. She wet her lips, trying to pull her mind out of the gutter long enough to finish this conversation," Oh. Thank you, Xander."

"However, I fear I must be the bearer of bad news," Una quirked her eyebrow, silently prompting him to continue," Iago is our current tactician, meaning that there is no position for you."

"Oh," There that name was again. Laslow had warned her against interacting with this Iago fellow, and now that she knew he was the current tactician, she could see why. He would probably feel threatened by her if she tried to take his job," That's alright. I am perfectly happy staying Elise's retainer."

"Um, but what do I do?" The three adults turned their attention towards Elise and the small statured brunette standing next to her. She seemed relatively unharmed, but there was a darkness radiating off of her that gave away how much pain she truly was in," They took my Mother...My life."

Una felt herself frown. This girl couldn't have been a day older than she was, and she had already lost one of the most important people to her," I'm so sorry. Maybe some of your family and friends are still alive? Camilla went to check on the villagers-."

"There's no one," She choked out," My mother and I were the last to flee. I couldn't even start over here by myself. All the homes, fields...," Una and Xander flinched forward but were too late to catch the townsgirl, who's legs had just gave out on her," It's all destroyed! B-But I wouldn't w-want to stay here even if it wasn't! Everyone I-I called family is dead! Every house...a grave."

The purple haired girl's eyes fell to the ground, unable to say anything that would comfort her. If they were with the Shepherds, she would have offered the girl a place helping the army. However, that was when she was with Chrom. She could never imagine Xander-

"Listen, we'll take you in," Una whipped her head up, surprised to find Xander kneeling next to the villager, unclipping his cape to wrap around her shoulders," We can't replace all those you've lost. But we'll take care of you."

She looked the blond up and down before sniffing," I can join your group?"

"Yes. I may not be able to promise you a carefree life, but I can offer you a comfortable one," Xander held out his hand for the girl to take, a soft smile crossing his lips when she timidly took it," What is your name?"

"M-Mozu Gagne."

0-0-0

"Are you going to tell me what the hell that was or am I going to have to guess?"

Una resisted the urge to jump off her wyvern in mortification. The battle against the faceless had wrapped up about as neatly as it could have, and with Mozu situated on the back of Elise's horse, there was nowhere for Kostas to ride aside from Thoron. She honestly should have seen this coming, but it didn't make the explanation come any easier," Ah…I wish I could tell you."

The brunet's brow dropped instantaneously," You're kidding, right? Look, if we're going to be fellow retainers we have to _trust_ each other."

"Trust isn't formed in a day, Kostas," She sighed, wishing for the thousandth time in a minute that it was Laslow on the wyvern with her and not the Trickster," It only started happening recently and I cannot control it. I'm hoping to scour the library when we return to see if I can find any information of use."

She heard Kostas harrumph from behind her," Good luck, my friend. You won't find anything you're looking for in there," Una shot him a puzzled look, pushing him to elaborate," Clarkenstein is the home of the King's children. If there was any library to have banned books, it would be that one," He leaned in close enough for his lips to brush against her ear," You'll have to leave the castle gates to actually learn something of value about this country."

The purple haired girl opened her mouth to further question, but the more she sat on his words, the more they made sense. Although she had only had time to scour a few Nohrian history books, there was no mention of faceless inside. Include the fact that none of the four siblings knew how to properly react and Kostas's statement made a lot more sense," I see. Does that mean you've read all the books in the library?"

This query seemed to be much more comfortable for him to answer, because his impish nature returned in a flash," What? You don't take me to be the literary type? Am I too roguishly handsome to match the stereotype?"

It was times like these that made her wonder how she fell for Laslow at all when he spat lines similar to that early on," Do you flirt with all of your colleagues?"

"Of course! Jeremiah didn't take to kindly to it. That's probably why he stabbed me in the back," Kostas shrugged," Speaking of not seeing things coming, I was surprised to hear Lord Xander compliment you so fervently. He's got a bit of a soldier mentality so I figured that type of thing would go right over his head. It's a wonder you convinced him to follow along in the first place."

Once again, Una found herself wondering if she should thank him or elbow his gut," I guess I have a gift for it."

"I'd like to see that for myself," She quirked her eyebrow at the challenging tone in his voice. This was much different than their initial introduction, which had been entirely playful. It seemed as though now she was a puzzle he was excited to solve," Do you play chess?"

0-0-0

Una's feet gently patted against the cold stone of Clarkenstein's halls. Night had long since fallen, Mozu snugly tucked into the guest room and Xander cooped up in his office. Elise was relatively unharmed from the entire ordeal, but she also hadn't been one of the unlucky ones to run across the bodies. Camilla returned empty-handed, much like Mozu predicted. Something about their inability to do anything deeply frustrated the High Prince, and Una has a sneaking suspicion his anger had something to do with Iago.

Una herself was having a hard time sleeping. The sudden use of magic without a tome could have been written off as a coincidence once, but the fact that it happened twice left her perplexed. Kostas was also a character she was keen on keeping an eye on. He acted carefree, but there was something about the way that he acted that told her he knew more than he let on. She was looking forward to their future chess matches in hopes of getting an answer out of him. It was about two hours of tossing and turning before she decided to throw in the towel and track down Laslow.

Una slowed to a stop, staring at the wood of her boyfriend's door. Gods, how was he going to react? She knew that he wouldn't want her to keep it a secret from him, but a selfish part of her wanted to withhold that information. He had given up four years of his life to pay the reparations that monster had created, and to hear that there were still more things off about her…she wasn't sure he could handle it.

Then again, this was Laslow—_Inigo_—she was talking about. This was the very man who she confessed a potential murder scheme to and gave her a cup of tea as response. He always knew what to say to make her feel better, and gods, she really needed to hear him say-

"N-No!"

Una's eyes widened, her ear pressed against the door without a second thought. The hyperventilating was immediately discernable, coming hand in hand with something she could only describe as choking. Oh gods, he was under attack! Una threw all caution to the wind and flung the door open, squinting in the dark for any sign of an intruder.

The eighteen year old furrowed her brow in confusion at the lack of an enemy. She had sworn she heard someone. Maybe they were hiding-

The sight of Laslow's body lurching up in his bed finally made things clear, but the dread in her stomach intensified. Her feet moved on their own, legs buckling when she reached his bedside. The hero's entire body was coated in sweat even though he was shivering like he was in a winter storm. His breathing was short and choppy, hands reaching out as if something was just out of his reach. Worst of all, his eyes were screwed shut. He was dreaming, and if she didn't get him out of it soon, he would pass out.

She tentatively reached forward, her fingers barely grazing his cheek before he shot up with a cry," Una!" Said girl swerved so that she was in front of him, panic setting in when she realized he was still deep in his nightmare," Come back! Please!"

"I-I'm here," Una felt herself choke out, finally mustering the courage to make contact. Her hands were cupping his cheeks in a second, wincing at how wet they were with tears. He only tried to shake his head away, a strangled sob wrenching from his throat when she refused to let him go," Laslow, please—I'm here. Please wake up!"

The gray haired man shoved his hands forward, nearly pushing her off the bed if she hadn't dove forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel his hot breath against her collarbone, too fast to be anywhere close to normal. Oh gods, what was she supposed to do?! Was she scaring him?! If he was the one awake, he would have known exactly what to do! All she could remember was-

Recognition crashed over her like a broken vase. Una shakily repositioned herself so that she was straddling him, sitting straight up on her knees so that she could press his head against her chest," C-Can you hear my heartbeat, Inigo?"

She felt her heart stop when he stilled. Had…Had he passed out? Was she too late? Una was about to burst into tears herself until she felt his eyelashes flutter against the collar of her nightgown. His hands, formerly pressed tightly against her shoulders in an attempt to shake her off, slowly slid down until they found their place against the small of her back. One tug and she was flush against him.

It wasn't until she felt his breathing steady that Una allowed herself to calm down, her hand gently burrowing itself in his silver locks. She didn't know he had nightmares. He mentioned them in passing a while ago, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine them getting this bad. He was so happy all the time—what had happened to hurt him so badly?

Oh…Oh gods. It was her. He had called out to her in his sleep, and the only thing that seemed to calm him down was her heartbeat. She assumed that this was because the sound was soothing and steady, something she grappled onto when she was having panic attacks of her own. But this was completely different; he was desperate to hear her heartbeat because she had died and left him alone to pick up the pieces.

How could she be so blind?

She pressed a kiss into the crown of his head, humming a soft song Olivia used to sing as he cried. Laslow kept his face buried against her chest. His body had relaxed a little since she initially found him, unwinding along with her melody. It was only once she finished her song that she spoke up," Are you okay?" He didn't answer initially, instead retracting his head and turning away. Una sighed through her nose, gently reaching to cup his face and turn him back," Inigo, please speak to me. You're suffering, and I-I want to help."

She felt his fingers twitch against the fabric of her nightgown," I'm sorry," She inhaled sharply at how broken and small his voice sounded," I…I didn't want you to see me like this."

Una bit her lip, trying hard not to comment on the red rings around his eyes and the dark circles that accompanied them. Was this what it was like for him every night? She felt herself tremble as her thumb stroked his cheekbone," But you're hurting."

His irises briefly flickered to meet hers, a tired smile creeping up. She flinched when she felt one of his hands sweep across her cheek, surprised to find the damp trail left behind. Was she crying? Damn, she was supposed to be strong for him! Una retracted her hands to wipe away any trace of tears before returning them around his neck. He chuckled at the gesture, though it came out completely and utterly exhausted," You see? I didn't want you to worry about me. It pains me to see you this way."

"Inigo, it pains me to see you this way too," Una whispered, pressing her forehead against his," I don't want you to have to go through this anymore. I don't know how long it's been happening, but I know why and I-," It took every bit of strength in her not to burst into tears at that moment," I'm _so_ sorry."

His hands tightened," Una…"

"I sh-shouldn't have left you the way I did," The purple haired girl pressed a soft kiss against his nose, then his cheek, and finally ending with one on the corner of his lips," B-But I'm here now, I'm not going anywhere, and I-I love you. That's all that matters."

After what felt like an eternity, he nodded. Una felt herself finally relax, shifting up so that his head was in the crook of her neck. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, his hands tight around her waist and her fingers combing through his hair, but if holding him made him feel better she would do it forever. That was what she owed him, after all. He waited for her, and she owed him her life for that.

Her eyes flickered open at the soft sound of china getting set down. She didn't dare move, instead urging her irises to peek to the side to catch a glimpse of what just happened. She half expected to see a mouse or maybe even a nonchalant maid, but a flash of white hair caused the breath to get sucked from her lungs.

Niles tipped his head silently at her, his gaze flickering between her and the retainer in her arms. Her lips twitched, but his finger was up in a second to silence her. He quietly pointed towards a cup of tea on Laslow's bedside table before bringing it back to said man. Had Niles brought that for him? Once the connection was made clear, the archer gave a lazy wave goodbye and disappeared into the hallway, leaving Una more confused than ever.

_"Well isn't this a surprise. You're the girl Laslow's been dreaming about."_

_ "You're the girl that's been tormenting him."_

Una could only blink, finally putting all the pieces together; Niles knew about Laslow's nightmares.

…and now he knew about their relationship.

Shit.

* * *

**Guys, these chapters are getting so long. I kind of expected that to happen because this is a trend that is starting, but this is good for all of you! More content! Anyway, let's analyze. I really liked the idea of Laslow training Una to use an axe, so that's where we started off! I think they'd be great sparring partners because they wouldn't go easy on each other. I think it's funny that Xander and Una have a similar dynamic to Chrom and Laslow; it's kind of like coming full circle. Elise has Leo wrapped around her finger even though she isn't aware of it, which is so cute! Leo is a good big brother. Okay, so let's address one of the bigger factors of this chapter: I took Mozu's intro chapter out of context. I wanted her to be in the story earlier due to who she will end up with, which meant that Mari could not be the one to recruit her. That doesn't mean that Mozu and Mari will not meet, it just means it will be at a different time. The chapters are starting to break up into parts at this point, so this one is an introductory chapter for the next one, which will focus on the different Belin Siblings. I love how close they all are at the beginning of the game, but it's odd to think they would have that relationship right off the bat with all their family drama. So, we're getting a look into that. Okay, so remember when Aditya (the dragon god that convinced Laslow to hop over to Nohr (also Mari's dad)) said Una was powerful? Yeah, that definitely has something to do with what happened today. Ooh, I kind of brushed over one of my favorite parts! Una seeing the shitshow that is Nohr's army and taking the tactician role without even realizing it. No wonder Xander was impressed, haha. Plus, we've got Kostas added into the mix. There was no way that he wouldn't see the miracle magic happen, and I like the idea of him being a confidant for her. And finally, the ANGST. I've kind of been foreshadowing that something is going on with Laslow, and this was definitely it. Our poor boy is traumatized! I didn't really see a world where Laslow would tell Una about it (at least, not for a while), so it had to be set up where she found out. I think the worst part about it was that Una got to address Laslow's anxieties, but she never addressed her own concerning her new weird powers. The drama never ends with these two, I swear. And finally, Niles definitely walked in on this happening. Uh oh. What do you think he'll do? **

**So this is the final version of "What changed?". It'll be a bit longer because I'm completely deleting chapter 6. I really didn't like how it went down, especially now that Kostas is a retainer and not a maniac. Now, what was different about this chapter? I introduced Xander here instead of the last chapter mostly to help with the length/flow of the story. Kostas was added in and played a more consistent role in this chapter. Originally, it was just Una v. the world. When I first wrote this chapter, I alluded to Grima possessing Una. Since that's not a factor anymore, he's been cut! Una's outfit is different too. I see Nohr's styling having a heavily influence on military uniforms, so it was only natural that Una would adopt that. Any part in this chapter involving Laslow stayed the same. I think the major differences just lied with the addition of Kostas (as per usual). **

**Review time!**

**Lance**** Eterna:**** Welcome back! I was starting to wonder where you were, haha. I'm so happy you loved the reunion! These poor kids have so much more to go through, but not for a little bit. There's one more chapter of angst, and then we're headed towards fluff city. Get excited! Thanks for the review!**

**dulcetly:**** No, you are absolutely not babbling! I love hearing all your thoughts! We got to see a little bit of Laslow's skills in this chapter with their spar, but that is just scratching the surface, my friend. The thing I love about Laslow's swordmanship is that everyone kind of treats it like it's not a big deal because of his personality. And boy, does he use that to his advantage. Una gets a bit more recognition because Elise is her biggest fan and Xander was completely shocked. It's funny to think that all the odds were against her and she still managed to come out on top. I like writing Una's fight scenes because she is super creative with how she defeats the enemy. Laslow is a bit more in the moment with his battles, something he no doubt inherits from his father. Una likes to think outside of the box, making a fun dynamic for when they finally get paired together in battle. I don't want her to get overpowered because of the Grima thing, but we'll go more into that in the next few chapters. You are completely right about her age as well! Right now, the only people around that age are Beruka and (now) Mozu. Leo and Mari are a few years younger, and obviously Elise is barely a teen. I have a feeling that Xander is purposely trying to downplay Una's skills, because if her tactical prowess fell in the wrong hands...I'll leave it at that. Thank you for the review! **

**Alrighty right! That's it for the changed original chapters batch! I'm not sure if this will pop up as new media or not, so you'll either see this the day I'm posting it or the time I post my next chapter. The next chapter will start fairly soon after we left off, but then time will start moving faster. We've got three years to go, so it's important that I start packing important events in. Do you guys have any predictions? Also, I hope you like the new direction this story is moving. I personally feel a lot better about it. As always, I love hearing your thoughts and comments! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next week!**

**-Uprisingdragon**


	6. Chapter 6: Proposals

**Hello everyone! I did it! It's a new chapter! Woohoo! I do want to preface this by saying I stand by Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+. This is a safe place. I do not want to ignore everything happening in the world right now, but I hope by continuing this story I provide an escape to those who are stressed/scared. This chapter will pick up where the last one left off: Una just discovered that Laslow has been having reoccurring nightmares about losing her, and neither are sure how to proceed. **

* * *

Clarkenstein was in a bit of a disarray after returning from their mission. Laslow could see Xander take on the brunt of their failure, though he did his best to hide his disappointment from his siblings. He couldn't speak on behalf of the other lieges, but the dining hall was particularly quiet that night. Even Una, who had just started to find her footing, seemed thrown by the entire experience.

Laslow felt a grimace sneak onto his lips as he entered the garden. It was bad enough that her first mission was unsuccessful, but she witnessed his night terrors. While the gray haired man took a few seconds to discern nightmare from reality, the feeling of Una's tears on the back of his neck haunted him into the next morning. It had been four years since he'd seen her cry, and the fact that he had caused it destroyed him.

She was gone when he woke up that morning. She left a quick and vague note informing him that she had returned back to her room to avoid scandal. If Una truly was the same girl she was when he was seventeen, Laslow had a feeling she'd avoid talking about the situation.

To placate his jumbled thoughts, he decided to go for a quick stroll before his shift started. The hero had a few favorite hiding spots on the grounds; the east watchtower, the large broom closet on the second floor, and the greenhouse nestled against the back gate. Since the weather was nice for a change, he decided to head towards the third option.

The last thing he expected to see when opening the doors was the purple haired princess situated by the gardenias," Lady Camilla," He greeted with a polite bow," Fancy meeting you here."

"Why, Laslow. What serendipity!" She smiled back, a bit of a strained tone in her voice. The gray haired man decided not to take offense because she likely expected to be alone here as well," Out for a stroll, perchance?"

"Yes, a change of pace seemed in order," He nodded before a voice in the back of his head rudely reminded him that he had a flirtatious ruse to keep up," And it appears I chose just the place!" Laslow sauntered forward and pressed a feather light kiss on her knuckles," Any day on which I run into you, Lady Camilla, is a fine day indeed."

Camilla's eyes gave him a look over before she let out an amused hum," Are you really so pleased to see me? If what my brother says is true, you say the same to every girl you meet."

The twenty one year old pursed his lips," That make me sound like a scoundrel! I wouldn't be so insincere as to say it to a woman who wasn't worthy. It's just that, to me, every woman meets that criteria."

The purple haired woman slowly turned to move deeper into the greenhouse, silently beckoning Laslow to fall into step with her. It was a little surprising, seeing how thick he was laying his flirtations on," How convenient that must be for you."

"It's no mere excuse," He chatted nonchalantly, hoping that the princess would eventually grow bored and dismiss him. It wasn't that he didn't believe the words he was saying; A Laslow that didn't flirt wasn't a Laslow at all. It just felt weirder now that Una was back in the picture. Even though she was aware of his cover story and trusted him, genuinely complimenting other girls felt off. It reminded him of when he would outgrow clothing when he was a child but try to fit into them as long as possible," Every woman is beautiful, if you look for it. Even so, your radiance outshines the pack, if I may be so bold."

That wasn't a lie either. Camilla was known for two things: her beauty and her dominance on the battle field. No matter what the scenario was, she brought men to their knees. Even now as she stared back, Laslow wasn't sure what to expect," Why, thank you."

…Thank you? He blinked a few times, a bit set aback by her acceptance of the compliment," Y-You're welcome, my lady. What do you say we go out for some tea, just the two of us?"

"Hmm…," Camilla slowly crossed her arms, face frozen in concentration. It felt as though she were piercing a hole through his chest with her gaze. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath until she spoke again," I'll do it on one condition. You seem close with Elise's new friend."

Laslow felt as though the air had been sucked out of him," Una?" He knew that the Hautlecourts had a vendetta against each other, but did they plan on involving royal retainers? Now that he thought about it, Aditya mentioned something similar happening all those years ago. He had to clench his fists to keep his hands from shaking," I often train with her. Why do you ask?" It took every fiber of his being to keep his voice from trembling as he tried to cover himself," Are you jealous, my lady?"

"Of course not," She replied smoothly. Usually a harsh dismissal such as that would leave Laslow offended, but all he could feel was his rapidly increasing heartbeat," Father informed Xander and I that Una would be appointed this morning. My dear brother recommended her the second he returned yesterday, and I suppose father wished not to waste any time."

The usually lush greenhouse suddenly felt stifling," That's lovely…Is she aware that this is happening?" She hadn't mentioned it during her visit last night. He bit back a grimace; memories of the previous evening brought forward an even larger wave of anxieties. He had to wet his lips to pull himself back to reality," I only ask because usually it is announced before and she would otherwise tell me-."

"So you are close," His mouth shut in a snap," That's wonderful. How about I strike you a deal? I will go to tea with you if you tell me everything you know about our lovely Una."

Laslow's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, smile painted on his face like a portrait. If he wanted to get out of this situation with both his head and Una's safe, he needed to play his part," Don't tell me you're interested in Una instead of me. My heart couldn't take it."

Camilla tilted her head cutely," Now, now, no need to get defensive. I just want to know where she came from, that's all. If I am to be a good sister, I need to make sure Una isn't trouble. Simple as that."

Good sister? Was she starting to open up to the idea of looking after Elise? Laslow felt the lump in his stomach dissipate. Camilla wasn't preying after Una; she was looking after her little sister. It was surprisingly sweet. Laslow mentally berated himself. Usually he prided himself for reading people," Ah, I see. All I have been told is that she comes from a small village nearby the border. It might suit you well to introduce yourself. I assure you Una is a lovely woman."

The princess let out another hum," Perhaps I will."

0-0-0

The second Una sat down next to him for breakfast, her hand was clenched in Laslow's. The bewildered look she sent him was so cute it almost quenched his anxieties from the past twenty-four hours. She opened her mouth to question him, but the words died in her mouth as realization dawned," You knew, didn't you?"

"That means it happened?" The newly appointed retainer nodded," I swear on my life that I hadn't the faintest idea. Well-I figured it would happen eventually, but for news to travel that fast to the King?" He let out a deep breath of air when he realized he hadn't completely explained himself," I ran into Lady Camilla in the greenhouse this morning and she informed me of the event. She's curious about you."

The short haired girl tipped her head to the side," Oh? Why?"

Before he could answer, Selena all but slammed her plate on the opposite side of the table," Gawds, isn't it obvious? Lady Camilla is fiercely protective of her siblings. She probably wanted to make sure you weren't a threat."

He could tell the wheels were turning in Una's head without having to look," That makes sense to some degree, but that doesn't explain how Jeremiah nearly got away with attempting murder on Elise and Kostas."

Selena's mouth pressed into a thin line, unsure of how to respond," That…was a long time ago."

"It was a month."

Laslow propped his chin into his free hand. Now that he thought about, Una had a point. Had Camilla truly changed so drastically in such a short period of time? Selena seemed to think so, and he knew how close Camilla was with her retainers. He wished he had thought the grill the princess for more information earlier.

"Ooh, looks like things are getting heated between the two of you," Judging by the loud groan from Una, Niles had approached their table," I heard you got offered the position this morning. How'd it go down?"

The gray haired man furrowed his brow: That was oddly tame for Niles. Usually he and Una would be at each other's throats the second they laid eyes on each other," The King is not what I expected," Una started slowly," He is every bit as intimidating as everyone eluded to, but…"

Everyone at the table leaned in, Niles included," But…"

Just like that, her train of concentration was broken in a hurry," It's probably nothing. Has anyone seen Odin? I wanted to know if there was a chance for us to visit again soon."

0-0-0

In Nohr, it was hard to tell the changes of seasons. Usually Spring brought the renewal of nature, but with everything dead, there was nothing to be reborn. The only sign of time passing at all was the singular tree in the training ground starting to bud leaves. The weather remained cold and stark, and the citizens remained placid.

Despite this, the people of Nohr still found ways to stay lively. The butlery staff, while still competitive towards the retainers, made an effort to display imported flowers all over the estate. Nova's little shop started taking longer hours now that the sun didn't set as early. And, amusingly enough, the retainers gained a renewed vigor for training. A little mock tournament was set to take place at the beginning of May, and whichever pair of retainers won got bragging rights for the entire year. Laslow didn't really take it seriously, instead using his free time to try and distract his competitors. Una, on the other hand, set her sights on the prize the minute the concept was pitched to her.

Excitement was palpable in the air, and as much as Una desperately wanted to enjoy it, she couldn't handle the guilt churning in her stomach. She had grown to adore Elise, treating her more like the little sister she never had instead of her charge. The only other person who had captured her heart the same way was her new niece, Ophelia. Una made an effort to visit at least once a week, but she found herself counting down the days until their next family dinner. She had even grown fond of Thoron, the wyvern that had once terrified her. On nights she couldn't sleep, the purple haired girl found herself gravitating towards the stable. Thoron was always out like a light, but there was something comforting about stroking his smooth scales.

She was growing happy, and that fact alone was tearing her apart. What was Chrom thinking back home? Was there ever a chance she could even return? Una was hardest on herself when thinking about Morgan and how much he had probably grown in her absence. Had it been four years for them too? Having Laslow suddenly older than her was jarring enough, but the thought of her little Morgan as a nineteen year old made her brain short circuit.

If one good thing was to come out of her confliction, it was Laslow's support. Ever since the morning after nightmare incident, he had started to act more like himself. They held hands underneath the dining table, snuck quick kisses between shifts, and often crept around the manor to spend the night in the other's room. Keeping their secret would be a cakewalk if not for Niles and his obvious teasing. Ever since he caught them together, it had been all winks and innuendos. At first Una was flustered and annoyed, but eventually she came to the conclusion that his poking fun at them was better than pointing an arrow at her. She just hoped that he wouldn't blow their cover.

That was the biggest reason why it was such a relief that family dinner approached as fast as it did. She hadn't even realized a month had passed until Elise burst into her room excitedly asking what gift she should pack for her sister. Una had to grab Mozu, the newest addition to the cooking staff, and beg her to help prepare something to bring.

Dinner had been much more comfortable than the previous month. There was no awkwardly finding where new lines had been form or having to catch Una up whenever someone she didn't know was mentioned. Instead, it was mostly stories passed back and forth between the six friends. Niles was ruthless about his teasing of the couple, especially now that they had no choice but to confirm it. Nova was a bit unsure of when to step in, but Selena and Odin wholeheartedly supported it.

Una felt as though her furrowed brow didn't relax until she followed Nova to put Ophelia to bed. Honestly, she still couldn't believe the timid girl she had once known had grown into a confident mother," You know, Tharja and Donnel would have been proud."

The dark haired girl startled at that," Of Ophelia?"

"No—well, yes. I think they'd be thrilled to know they had a grandchild," Una smiled, watching as said girl slept soundly in her cot," What I meant to say is that you've changed for the better."

Nova fell quiet for a few moments, eyes steady on her daughter. The low lighting in the room hid her expression well, but the slump of her shoulders said otherwise," I…Odin and I never told you why we came here, did we?"

The former tactician blinked at that. Had there been a reason aside from finding her? Now that she thought about it, the idea of Odin, Selena, and Noire all following Laslow to search for her seemed silly. Why hadn't she thought to ask? She felt a little foolish for never considering a different option.

"I-I don't know what Laslow has told you about how much Ylissean politics have changed since you left," Una shrugged," I understand. Ylisse rarely appears in our conversations these days," After making sure one last time that her daughter was sound asleep, Nova made her way towards the settee in the corner. After a gentle motion, Una settled beside her," Odin and I confessed to each other before our final battle against Grima and began courting shortly after. The first few months were lovely, but then his parents were appointed rulers of Plegia. There was quite a bit of uproar at the concept of a Ylissean princess ruling a foreign country."

"Lissa?" Una's heart surged at the mention of her best friend," She's a queen? Goodness. Is she alright? Nothing ill happened, I hope."

Nova shook her head," No, she and Henry were both in perfect health before we left! My parents, Gaius, and Maribelle all followed them to make sure they would be safe. It's just that…," She squeezed her eyes shut," O-Odin and I made love before we got married."

Out of everything she could have said, that was definitely the last thing Una expected. It was inevitable that they have intercourse—there was Ophelia's existence, after all—but to have it before wedlock? Una didn't think differently of anyone who chose to do that and frankly was a little annoyed her and Laslow hadn't made that step. It just came as a shock that Owain, an overexcited manchild, and Noire, the most skittish soldier in the army, had shared a passionate night," Oh?"

"We…We were so happy when we found out I was pregnant. It didn't matter that she was coming earlier than we expected; we felt blessed that we'd be able to have a family in peace," Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her skirt," That's when the assassination attempt happened."

"Odin and I had been sleeping. Th-The only reason I woke up was because they knocked my talisman off my bedside table," Una's heart broke when she heard her friend sniffle," We could have died that night, a-and then Ophelia would have never been born and-," Nova took a deep breath, tense grip releasing ever so slightly," We didn't want that life for Ophelia. Even though we had survived that time, who was to say we would make it through the next? What if they targeted her after she was born? The new Plegia was still so young. I-I didn't want her to grow up like I did."

Una reached forward and squeezed one of Nova's hands, gently encouraging her to continue," We didn't know what to do at the time, so we followed Laslow to look for you. The two told me later what Aditya had proposed, and Odin and I saw it as a chance to have a fresh start," She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear," I-It isn't a perfect life, but Ophelia is safe. That's all we ever wanted."

The purple haired girl rubbed comforting circles on her friend's hands, taking in everything that she had just been told. She had always assumed that it would be happily ever after once Grima was defeated. Things seemed to be better than they had been before, but assassination attempts? Una was glad that Odin, Nova, and Ophelia were safe, but she desperately hoped that her friends back home shared the same fate.

Nova finally dropped her other hand so that she could squeeze Una's," Enough about Odin and I; I would love to hear about you and Laslow. He's so much happier now that you're back."

Una felt her cheeks warm a little at that," I'm happy to be back."

"Do you know when he's going to propose?"

"Do I-," If her face had been red before, she was sure it completely resembled a cherry now," Well, we have mentioned it before. You know how shy he is. I think that he's just building up the nerve to ask me," Suddenly, Una's mind snapped into a completely different direction," Why the change of subject? Is he planning on proposing?" Nova shrugged innocently," Come on, you have to tell me if you know something!...Please?"

0-0-0

Laslow sent another longing look towards the door of the balcony, wondering how long it took to put a little girl to bed. After the ladies had left to take Ophelia to her room, the remaining four retainers took their conversation outside. Catching up with his friends was lovely and all, but he could only take so much of Odin's outlandish stories without alcohol or Una giggling beside him.

Niles seemed to be growing bored as well. The smirk on his face was practically begging Laslow to ask what was on his mind. No doubt he was waiting to egg him on about Una again. Unfortunately for him, the gray haired man had quickly lost interest in playing his game. He sent a pointed nod towards Odin, hoping to redirect Niles's attention back to the mage's bear hunting story.

Another ten or so minutes passed before Laslow caught the sniper leering at him again. Although his eyes were on Laslow, Niles was absently fiddling with something in his free hand. When he caught Laslow's quizzical stare, his smirk only grew," Oh, this? It's nothing," His eye twinkled mischievously when he held up Olivia's wedding ring, not even attempting to hide his amusement. Laslow practically dove for it, snatching his heirloom out of the thief's open palm," So when are you going to drop the question?"

The hero huffed as he dug the chain around his neck out from underneath his shirt, sweat-dropping when he found it empty," How the heck did you manage to swipe this?"

"I snuck into your room last night," Niles shrugged," Turns out you're a heavy sleeper when you actually sleep."

Laslow strung the engagement ring back to its rightful place, a half-hearted glare present on his face. He wanted to be angry at Niles for sneaking in, but if he had actually taken anything, he wouldn't have brought the ring up. He probably just wanted to get a rise out of either himself or Una," I guess I'm going to have to lock my door from now on."

The white haired man's leer intensified," You and I both know I can pick that lock."

"Now you're creeping me out."

"I've got to keep you on your toes somehow," Niles chuckled. Despite wanting to hold his ground, Laslow couldn't bite back a smile of his own. He could remember how closed off and hostile when they initially met. Nobody really trusted the man that was hired to rob the palace aside from Leo, especially since he wasn't shy to make threats. The only person that seemed unafraid of him was Odin. The man made it his personal mission to brighten his new partner up, and while there weren't immediate results, it was hard to miss Niles's rough edges getting worn down. It started with getting invited to family dinners to standing up for him against doubtful soldiers.

Before they knew it, Niles began looking out for them as well. He kept an eye on Nova and Ophelia when Odin was recovering from a bad injury, taught Selena how to properly use a bow, and kept Leo company whenever he went to visit his mother. When he realized Laslow was having night terrors, he made a habit out of making him a cup of tea and staying with him until he calmed down. It was no wonder he was so hostile against Una when she first arrived; not only was she the cause of those nightmares, but also a stranger who already had a close relationship to all his friends. Some of that hostility had subsided over the change of the season, but they still had a long ways to go.

"What are you two bickering about?" Selena interrupted, earning a cringe from Laslow. He had nearly forgotten that they had company that could easily hear the conversation.

"Nothing-."

"Laslow is too chicken to propose."

The redheaded woman's jaw dropped," What?! I thought you two were already engaged!" Laslow opened his mouth to ask her why, but she steamrolled right over him," Gawds, you really are a coward if you think she'd turn you down. You two literally have a-."

"-Close, unbreakable bond," Odin cut in, sending his friend a strained look. Niles may know a great deal about them, but explaining different universes and time traveling children was a different matter entirely," Hark, may I request a moment of time alone with my closest compatriot? We have matters of world-shattering importance to discuss."

Niles and Selena shared a bored look," You could have just told us you wanted to talk about Una."

"…Just get out."

Laslow held back a snort as the two retainers retreated back into the loft, heads held high. He would have to buy Odin a thank-you-drink later. It was only after the door shut behind them that he leaned back over the railing. Even though Odin saved his skin, it came with a cost: An explanation," When you thought about proposing to Nova, how did it make you feel?"

He felt the mage shift over to his side," Anxious. I knew she wouldn't say no because of Ophelia, but the nerves were still there," The blond lightly nudged him with his elbow," How do you feel?"

"Well, Una is the most wonderful woman in the universe. I know that now that I've existed in several-."

"Laslow."

The gray haired man wilted under his friend's stare," D-Don't look at me like that. You know it makes me nervous," Odin merely rose an eyebrow in response," I know what you're doing. There is no reason I'm waiting to propose to Una. I just want the timing to be perfect. Have you seen the scenery in Nohr? It's hideous! I can't propose to Una in the dirt!" Both of his friend's brows dropped, clearly unimpressed with his rambling," Hey now, my parents had a wonderful proposal and they're still together today. Could you imagine if father hadn't waited to propose to mother until after the war? They would have both had to move on, wondering what goodbye would be their last. N-No, my father waited until they returned to Regna Ferox to propose. It was a snowy night, and I hear that it was quite magical-."

"This isn't about waiting for the timing to be right," Odin interrupted, gaze turned out towards the cityscape in front of them," It's about the commitment."

The hero pressed his lips into a fine line at the accusation," I am wholly and entirely devoted to Una. If you have not seen that by now, you surely need to get your vision checked."

He bristled when his friend waved him off," Calm down, my friend. You misunderstood me," Odin turned around, leaning against the railing so that he could peek through the window into his house," You mentioned that your parents waited until after the war to propose because they didn't want to lose each other in it. You're scared of committing to Una because-."

"I know why I'm scared," Laslow huffed, a rush of defeat washing over him. Asking for marriage felt like asking her to wait for him. He was so stupid back then. He should have known something was wrong the moment she asked him that. What if that happened again? It wasn't out of the realm of possibility; they were both retainers to the royal Belin family during a country wide war. Losing Una as his beau had been hard enough. Losing Una as his wife and the mother of his children was unbearable,"…I think I need more time, that's all."

Odin exhaled through his nose, unusually quiet for the buoyant man," I understand. I cannot fathom how devastated I would feel if something were to happen to Nova. I am sure she shares the sentiment. However," Laslow bristled when the mage turned back to him with a condescending smirk," You truly are being a coward."

"You must be jesting," The blond's leer only intensified," I cannot believe this. I pour my heart out to you and _this_ is how I get repaid? This is why we don't have heart-to-hearts, Odin. You always poke fun at my feelings."

"I am only pointing out to you what you already know."

"…That I'm a coward?" Much to his horror, Odin nodded," Unbelievable. What kind of friend even are you?"

The other retainer chuckled at his dismay, making Laslow seriously consider who he spent his time with," What you are telling me is that you are scared to commit to Una because you do not wish for her to disappear again. Why? You cannot tell me it is because we are in a war; we have yet to see the frontlines due to our lieges' ages. Besides, I do not appreciate the implications of your statement," He added coolly," My parents were engaged the moment they set foot in Valm, very much in the middle of war."

Laslow moved to argue, but was immediately shot down by the shake of Odin's head. How was it that _Odin_ of all people was always the one to talk him out of his own head? It was frankly a little embarrassing recounting the amount of times it had happened.

A large pat on the back pulled him out of his thoughts," Come, friend! It's growing rather late and the chill of night will engulf us soon if we refuse to take shelter," It looked like realistic Odin had said his piece, leaving fanciful Odin in his wake," No dawdling! I am positive our lovely ladies must be worried sick about us."

The gray haired man grumbled but did not argue as he was lead inside. Selena and Niles were arguing on the couch about something to do with which of their lieges had more political prowess, while Nova watched uncomfortably from the armchair. Her shoulders sank in relief when the two men re-entered the den. There was only one person missing," Where is Una?"

"Ophelia woke up again, and Una offered to help her back to sleep," The dark haired woman replied dutifully. Laslow gave her a thankful smile, ignoring the jeers coming from Niles's direction. Part of him was tempted to propose to Una just to stop him from teasing them.

The twenty one year old hopped up the stairs into the attic where the little girl's room was. It was dark, save for one candle lit on the windowsill. The warm glow licked the walls around it, leaving peaceful vignettes in it's wake. However, it wasn't the lulling candlelight that caught his breath: it was the sight of Una and Ophelia.

The woman was nestled onto the settee, head resting on its velvety arm. One of her hands was in front of her head, fingers curled tight in her purple locks. The other was securely wrapped around his slumbering niece, tucking her close against her chest. It was the most precious thing he had seen in his entire life.

He crouched down in front of the pair, balancing on the balls of his feet. The scene was so serene, he didn't dare disrupt it. Soon she would be holding a tiny boy with chubby cheeks and gray hair in her arms. With as much energy as the boy had, there was no way he'd fall asleep easily. He always wondered why Morgan seemed so attached to his mother, but now the answer was right in front of his eyes.

_This_ was what Una wanted. He knew she loved children, none more than Morgan. He even knew that she wanted more children eventually, even if she didn't voice it. What he didn't realize was how badly he wanted it too.

He was so deep in his own epiphany that he didn't notice Una fumble out of her slumber," Inigo?" She blearily took in her surroundings, brow scrunched in confusion," Did I fall asleep?"

"Una, will you marry me?"

The words tumbled out of his lips before he even processed them, but nothing in the world could have forced him to take them back. Everyone was right: He could lose Una at any moment, but by keeping her at a distance, he was losing tranquil moments like these. He wanted to marry her. He wanted to hold her every night. He wanted to have children with her and watch them accidentally fall asleep on the settee. It didn't matter that they were in a war; the fighting would come to an end eventually. He'd rather wait for that moment with Una by his side than spend another five years keeping her at arm's length.

The purple haired girl's eyes slowly widened, voice small," Say that again."

Laslow's hand dove into his shirt and pulled out the ring fastened around his neck, hastily fiddling with the clasp to release it," I know this seems sudden, but I love you more than anything in the universe. It will not be easy—I know that—but I am willing to brave our hardships for the chance to live the rest of my life with you," He gently untangled her hand from her hair to place the heirloom inside," Will you marry me?"

Her gaze flickered from him to the ring, shifting back and forth so many times Laslow lost count. Una's eyes crinkled critically, and it was only after he gave her an affirming, albeit nervous, grin that she spoke up,"…I knew it."

"You…," The Hero furrowed his brow," How in the world could you have known? I didn't even know!" He huffed a breath of air out when she giggled," You really are the brightest tactician around."

Una pressed her lips together to keep her snickering to herself," Nova hinted heavily that the thought was on your mind. If it makes you feel any better, I was not expecting you to do it here," She dreamily rubbed her thumb over the ring before offering it back to him," Could you please put this on me? Ophelia would throw a fit if I accidentally woke her up."

"Hold on," Laslow instead tightly clasped her hand with both of his, trying to navigate his thoughts through the frantic beating of his heart," Is that a yes? You haven't officially said yes yet," He gave her a light shake," Please have mercy on my heart. I have been teased enough tonight to last me a lifetime."

His answer came through Una his hold on her close enough to press a gentle kiss on his knuckles," Yes," She murmured, golden irises glossed over with pure joy," Yes, I will marry you."

Laslow thought he was fully prepared for what being engaged to Una would be like, but nothing in all of Nohr or Ylisse could have helped him anticipate the rush of euphoria that washed over him. It was happening…It was _finally_ happening. He was going to marry his dream girl. After years of burying his childhood crush and pursuing fake love, the last person he expected to propose to was the one it started with: _Una_.

All he could manage was a watery laugh before warmly pressing his lips against hers. He felt her smile tremble against his, and it wasn't soon before his cheeks became damp with her tears," Oh, Una," He comforted, though his own voice wobbled with emotion," If you cry, you will leave me no choice but to follow suit."

"You silly hypocrite," His fiancé clumsily rubbed her thumb underneath his eyes," You're already crying."

Laslow chuckled, leaning his forehead against hers," We need to pull ourselves together. We cannot let our friends think we shed tears at the drop of a hat."

"Agreed," He happily allowed her to ball up her sleeve into her fist and dab his wet cheeks, repaying the favor once she was satisfied with her work," I love you, Inigo," She whispered sweetly, nearly sending him into cardiac arrest with how cute she was.

The gray haired man propped his elbow onto the cushion of the seat, content to spend eternity drinking in the sight in front of him. He softly knocked his hand against hers and grinned ear to ear when their fingers intertwined," I love you too, Una."

0-0-0

Despite being newly engaged, Una had no intent to go easy on Laslow during the mock tournament. She was gracious enough to keep him from being eliminated as soon as the horn rang, instead encouraging Kostas to help her gain up on Odin. Her friend was clearly offended that he was chosen as target and put up a surprising fight. She found herself frequently forgetting that Laslow, Odin, and Selena had gained four years of experience in her absence.

Nonetheless, the pincer strategy was what caused him to meet his loss. Una and Kostas moved onto their next target after that, looking for Niles but ending up against Peri and Laslow. Since Odin had already been knocked out of the running, there was no humiliation to save Laslow anymore. She had to admit that Xander's retainers worked well together until she provoked Peri into trying to take the both of them on at once. Kostas hit her in the back with a wooden dagger, and since Laslow had been left defenseless, he fell soon after. Una sent him an apologetic shrug before moving on to find Selena, Beruka, and Niles.

With phase A of their initial plan completed, Elise's two retainers moved onto Plan B: Hiding in the brush until they could make an ambush. Una had a feeling that Niles was most likely taking a similar approach, but both Selena and Beruka were offensive fighters. One of them was bound to cross their path eventually.

"Hey, I've got a question."

Una rose her brow at her partner. His concentration was so laser focused ahead that she had to make sure she hadn't imagined his voice," Is this about the magic?" It had been nearly a month since the incident, and while she had expected him to pester her left and right, he had been abnormally quiet about the situation. She should have known that he'd wait until they were out of earshot of any curious eavesdroppers," I still have not found an answer. Frankly, I am unsure of where to look."

"There's a hidden library underground," He replied flippantly before chugging on, ignoring her surprised choke," I actually wanted to talk about your initiation. What happened between you and our good King was not standard."

The purple haired girl was immediately brought back to that chilly morning. Simone woke her up bright and early, dressing her in her nicest clothes before leading her to the stables. An incredibly groggy Elise and Kostas were waiting for her arrival, and as soon as two horses were saddled, Simone waved them off. The three had left the walls of Clarkenstein and entered what looked like a colosseum. It was only after they passed the gates that Una realized she was in Castle Krakenburg.

_Una had been around unsettling people before, but Garon jumped to the top of her list the moment she set foot into the throne room. His skin was a sickly shade of gray, causing the white of his hair to leap off. He wore a full set of dark armor, even in the dead of morning. Worst of all, his eyes were glowing red. _

_ She followed Kostas's suit and kneeled before him, gaze fastened onto the ground. This was the man everyone was frightened of. The tactician had always wondered why, but as she heard his deep footsteps approaching, she felt a roll of nausea in her stomach. How could someone be so intimidating without saying a single word?_

Una absently drummed her fingers against the hilt of her axe," I had a feeling it wasn't. Everyone seemed so blasé when I told them I had been promoted. I didn't want to worry them if I told them what happened."

_"Our God is smiling down upon us today," Garon's voice rumbled, close enough that she could feel his hot breath against the crown of her head," Look me in the eye, my child."_

_ Kostas shot her an unreadable glance from her peripheral. Good, she wasn't the only one that felt something was deeply wrong about this situation. Nonetheless, she was too scared to disobey his orders. The twisted grin she was met with made her heart stop," You were born to cause destruction. I shall help you see to that fruition."_

_ She struggled to catch her breath, words sinking onto her like a heavy plate of armor. He couldn't know about Grima…could he?_

_ Without warning, his hand snatched her chin and forced her head to face up. She stumbled back slightly, trying to regain her footing while staying in his grasp. Above her was a large, stone statue carved into the ceiling. Though the face was plain and eyes hollow, a sick feeling washed over every inch of her body. It's eyes…oh god, it felt like she was looking into the depths of hell._

_ Una was only knocked out of her stupor when she was roughly yanked forward," Eyes down, boy!" She blinked a few times, trying to regain her bearings while only being vaguely aware of Garon reprimanding Kostas. _

She ran her hand through her bangs, surprised to find that her hands were shaking," Kostas…What did you see?"

The brunet let out a low hum, fingers twitching against the handle of his sword," I recognized that statue from my childhood. He…It shouldn't have been in Nohr. I have no idea how the hell he got it up there," Kostas turned to face her, face devoid of the usual humor it held," Did you recognize it?"

"No," Una shook her head, shifting her boots in the dirt to keep herself grounded," But I feel like I was supposed to."

_"Father?" It was Elise's voice that cut through the tension drowning the room. With everything her mind had just gone through, Una had almost forgotten the thirteen year old was there," M-May I attest on Una's behalf?"_

_ "No need," He grumbled with the wave of his hand, clearly done with the trio," Una Zhao, you shall join the royal guard as Elise's retainer. From this moment on, you are a soldier of Nohr."_

_ Kostas's brow furrowed at that, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he graciously helped Una back to her feet and kept a steady hand between her shoulder blades as they exited the room. The moment the doors closed, Elise flipped back to face them," I-I guess it's official now," She bounced a little, but the forced cheer in her voice was clear as day," Yay! I knew father would like you!"_

_ She clenched every muscle in her body to keep herself from shuddering,"…I'm glad."_

_ "Let's head back, okay?" Her nerves began to calm when Elise brought her voice down to a warm, comforting tone," We wouldn't want to skip breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day!" _

_ The purple haired girl managed to force a nod and smile for the princess, following suit as they led her out. If it weren't for Elise taking one of her hands and Kostas's hand present on her back, Una wasn't sure she would have been able to make it out of the castle without throwing up. _

"What happened at your ceremony?"

Kostas let out a low snort," It definitely wasn't as memorable as yours. I competed in a tournament the day before and impressed the King enough for him to offer me the position. He made me swear to protect Elise with my life."

Una tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat," He didn't make me do that."

"Yeah. Not super comforting," The trickster absently scratched the back of his head, irises flickering towards something behind them," That whole death and destruction speech wasn't in mine either. There's no way he would have said that about you if he didn't-."

"-know about my magic," She finished with a hoarse whisper," I am aware."

"Exactly," Without warning, she felt a piercing jab against the back of her spine. Una yelped and coaxed the quickly forming bruise left in the wooden arrow's wake. Kostas definitely shared the same fate judging by his hiss of pain," That's why we are going to lay low."

The purple haired girl's eyes widened as she wrapped her head around what had just transpired. She barely even processed Niles ruffling her locks and thwacking Kostas between his eyes," You two were sitting ducks. I just happened to be looking for a tree to wait out my prey when I came across the pair of you," Despite not being all that invested in the tournament anymore, her eyes still twitched when he mockingly tapped one of his arrows on top of her head," Poor Una won't be crowned victor after all."

Kostas laughed and held his hands up in surrender," Alright, you got us. Are Selena and Beruka out yet?"

The only answer Niles gave was a wave of the hand before disappearing deeper into the brush. It was only after he was out of earshot that Una shoved Kostas," You knew he was coming and you didn't fight him!"

"Hey, it's just a mock tournament!" The trickster playfully shoved her back," It's all about winning to you, isn't it?"

"That's not the point! You-," She threw a halfhearted punch at him,"-threw-," He dodged it with a smirk on his face,"-the game! We're easily the two smartest people fighting right now. We could have taken victory without breaking a sweat!" Una let out a huff," You didn't need to forfeit us to protect me from Garon. I can protect myself."

Kostas got to his feet, stretching towards the sky as if her accusations weren't as heavy as they were," Believe me, it is not the King I am keeping an eye on. There are darker forces at play here," She halfheartedly excepted the hand he held out for her, curiosity taking over pride," You. Me. 1:00 AM. We've got a library to stake out."

* * *

**Okie dokie, quite a bit to go through here. Before writing this, I realized that we haven't had as much Laslow perspective as Una in this story. I had to fix that immediately! He's still a bit anxious (poor boy has ptsd), but he is finally adjusting to life in Nohr with Una in it. Camilla is here! I've had her mentioned and make a few appearances earlier in the story, but I think this is her first real moment to shine. What is she planning? Una and Niles are more comfortable around each other, which is honestly a huge step for them. We got Nova and Odin's backstory! I really wanted a reason for all four of them to come to Nohr, so now we have 3/4 of their stories. Why do you think Selena decided to come? I really like Laslow and Odin's friendship (along with Lissa and Una's. RIP it'll be FOREVER until they get to interact again). I imagine that when Odin is with people he is close with, he drops the act a little bit. Especially with Laslow, who wouldn't take him seriously if he talked fancifully. However, his point was made! Laslow proposed to Una! FINALLY! It actually didn't really sink in to me that this was happening until I referred to Una as his FIANCE. Ahh! Soon she will be his wife! After 20+ chapters of being beaus, they will soon be married! And finally, we get a look at the Una/Garon interaction and some hints towards future events. Can I wish that Kostas was an in-game character? Because I do. Then again, his role would only really work for this incarnation of the story. What do you guys think of him? Do you have any guesses for what role he is going to play? Review time!**

Shadoath:** Hi! I hope you're still reading this! I know I took longer than expected to continue and I'm sorry! I'm really glad that you like where the story is heading! I get a little worried because the further we get into the plot, the more it might diverge in details. And you might be onto something with your guess. I don't want to give anything away, but you are definitely on the right track. Thank you for your review!**

**ElementUchihaMaster:**** Thank you! I do feel a lot better than I did a year ago and am hoping that quarantine will give me motivation/time to finish what I started. **

**AutumnsMercy:**** OH MY GOSH I'M SO EMBARRASSED. Thank you so much for pointing that out to me! I changed it as soon as I read your comment, haha. Could you imagine Una and Ignatz? I don't think it would work; Una would probably tease Ignatz to death. Thanks again! **

**Ocharlos: Hi! I'm back to the 6 chapter count now, haha. Yes, my writers block is gone! I'm really excited to be getting back into writing because it's a big hobby for me. I'd like to rehone my skill and return to writing the amount I did last summer. I'm glad that you liked the earlier version of chapter 6, and I am sorry that I decided to delete it. I hope that this new chapter/direction makes you happy! Thank you for your review! **

**Chapter 7 is on the docket. I've been focusing a lot of Una and Laslow's relationship development, but since we have reached the engagement status, I am very interested in building Una's relationships with the other characters in this world. I have a feeling it's going to be a long chapter, haha. Please feel free to leave me a review/comment! I always love hearing your feedback/anything you want to talk about. As I mentioned above, I hope everyone is safe and healthy. Thank you for reading!**

**-Uprisingdragon**


	7. Chapter 7: Trust

**Hi everyone! I hope you are all happy and safe. It took me a bit to get back into this (who is surprised? Not me), but I think it's because I watched the entirety of Avatar: The Last Airbender after posting the last chapter and got hooked. Now I dearly love Sokka, Suki, and Zuko. What a power trio, am I right? Anywho, I entered another writer's block after that but have finally emerged to post another chapter! Luckily I have a pretty detailed story outline that I want to follow or I'd otherwise be lost. To summarize what happened in the last chapter, Una and Laslow are engaged! Yay! Una has become retainer, though the coronation was very sketchy. Kostas promised last time that he'd take her to where she can get answers, so that's where we're picking up! Happy reading!**

* * *

The library trip turned out to be even more insightful than Una surmised. In fact, there was an entire community living in the boroughs of Windmire. It was bustling with more life than she had seen in the entire two months she had lived there. The stalls had a huge range in variety in terms of wares: Some sold embroidered blankets while others were brightly lit with a plethora of colorful spices. She felt rather silly holding onto the back of Kostas's coat like a child to keep from getting swept away from the crowd, but the embarrassment was worth it when they arrived at the book stall.

It was run by an older man named Darshil who seemed pretty chummy with Kostas. He had been working towards the back of the overflowing building when he spotted the pair of retainers, but once her friend exclaimed a string of words in a language she didn't understand, the man practically teleported in front of them. The two clasped hands excitably and gave a slight nod of the head in greeting. Una barely had time to react before Darshil grabbed her hand and performed the same action.

After introductions were made, the two were lead past the front counter into an alley in the back. The only thing that separated it from the other entryways were two mirrored horse troughs tipped up on their sides and filled to the brims with books. He patted Kostas confidently on the back, watching with pride as his friend's eyes glowed with curiosity while fastened on a pair worn notebooks," I got these from an estate sale off of Cheve. I read a little bit; it seems like it belonged to a former maid of the royal palace."

Kostas grabbed both of the man's cheeks and kissed him square on the forehead," What would I do without you?"

"Either die of boredom or get yourself killed doing something stupid," He laughed back, giving them a parting wave as he headed back inside," Do not stay up all night or get your lady friend and I in trouble. A dainty creature like that should never have to see a battle."

The trickster chuckled heartily at that, but Una only pouted," You don't have to worry about us, Darshil."

It turned out that the secret library was full of books on subjects she had never heard of before. A few of them, like the journals the bookkeeper mentioned before, dealt with the Nohrian royal family and the secrets they held. The subject that drew her attention, however, was of a place called Valla. Kostas steered her away from those books, claiming that she needed to "study a bit more until they breeched that subject". Instead, he pushed her towards accounts filled with information about the dragons of light and dark.

At first Una didn't understand why he wanted her to read the equivalent of Ylissean fables, but the further she got, the more invested she became. The Light Dragon represented peace, prosperity, and good fortune. Hoshido worshipped it and shared its beliefs. The Dark Dragon, on the other hand, represented power, possession, and desecration. It baffled her that any country, even Nohr, would choose to worship something with those ideals. It was only when she read that the dragon held powers to control certain beings that things began to sink in. No doubt it was what created the faceless tormenting the border, but it made her wonder what else could be under its influence.

There was just one thing she couldn't wrap her head around," Hoshido stands for peace and Nohr stands for destruction. If that is the case, why do we fight for something that wants to bring an end to the world?"

Kostas, already halfway through the second journal, glanced up over the pages," Have you gotten to the part about the barrier yet?"

"The…barrier?"

"Keep reading," He replied airily," You're smart. You'll figure it out."

Una had to finish reading the first book and move onto a war general's journal to figure out what Kostas was referring to. After decades of over-farming the land, the Nohrian soil became unusable. Without Valla to turn to, Nohr was forced to beg the other country for aid. Hoshido ignored the crumbling country in order to preserve its own. To insure their safety, the eastern country formed a magical barrier the two countries to prevent the sickness of Nohr's land to infect Hoshido. The general recounted the order to start provoking their neighbor in order to get some sort of reaction out of them, positive or negative. Unfortunately, it was the latter. A meeting was arranged between the two kings of the land, Garon and Sumeragi. It turned sour when Sumeragi refused their offers, claiming this was a sign they were doomed to share the same fate as Valla. Shortly after leaving, the Hoshidan Emperor was mysteriously assassinated in cold blood. Tensions rose to great stakes after that, but without any proof Garon was behind it, Queen Mikoto deemed it unwise to blindly retaliate. It was the murder of Lady Arete of Nohr a few weeks later that set the two countries into an official war.

Una's mouth went dry when she was met with the last page of the journal, detailing how tired the general had grown of the war. How old was this account? More importantly, what disaster had happened to Valla to render them incapable to help? Her gaze slid back towards the pile of books Kostas directed her away from," When am I allowed to ask about Valla?"

"Never. Oh my gods, absolutely never," The brunet placed the notebook down and raked a hand through his hair," It's a taboo subject around here. People say that the travesty that happened there is so terrible that you'll be cursed if you mention it by name."

The tactician sweat dropped," You're telling me this _now_? After I've said it _twice_?!"

Kostas waved her frustrations away like it was a fly pestering him," It's just a superstition and a reason to discriminate against the Vallites. It is fine to say it in this district, but that's it," To prove his point, he pointed out the door," Leave this area saying that name and you'll get fired on the spot. Hell, you'll probably get kicked out of the country."

"But…," Her mind was racing. How could a group of people just try to erase a place like that? It perturbed her that a country as desperate as Nohr could remain prejudiced," Is there any way we can change their minds?"

Something shifted in Kostas's irises when she said that, a smirk tilting up the corner of his lip," I was hoping you would say that."

Her brow only furrowed more," I don't understand."

"I didn't think you would," The trickster pushed himself onto his feet, brushed the dirt off his trousers, and held out his hand," Come on, we better head back before sunrise. Wouldn't want to keep Lady Elise waiting."

0-0-0

Summer came as fast as Spring had, drying any dampness out with the hot sun. The usual gray tone the country held turned onto a sepia toned brown, and the heat bouncing off the ground did nothing to help. Una was surprised to find the capital's sleeping schedule shift from the day hours to night. Instead of waking up at 7:00 am, the country shifted towards waking up around 6:00 pm. It exhausted her at first and was afraid she'd miss the sun, but the candles in every room of Clarkenstein switched to be run by magic instead. Odin explained that the spell spent the winter and spring season collecting any sunlight through crystals and converted that energy into faux candlelight as soon as the schedule shifted. It was odd, but she found herself working around it.

As soon as her routine switched its normally appointed time, so did the amount of time she spent near the Belins. Aside from Elise, Una had no idea how to act around them. Leo kept mostly to himself, only ever seeing Una when she was with his younger sister. He didn't seem to like her very much, but he put on a good face for the girl. When Una asked Odin about his cold behavior, he just laughed and said that he was still young and navigating his feelings.

Leo was the complete opposite of Camilla. Ever since their trek to Mozu's village, the purple haired princess always popped up in the strangest of places. Una found her in the stables whenever she was about to take Thoron for a flight, playing the piano during Elise's violin lessons, and even joining their group for a round of sparring. She was always polite, but asked a surprising amount of questions whenever she was able to corner the tactician. Una felt on edge when the girl was around, especially since numerous people had brought up that Camilla had been talking about her.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as if Xander was any better. Una was hoping that being made Elise's official retainer would ease his hard stare on her, but the man remained consistent. Una fought back by holding her ground, but she found herself near breaking whenever his eyes narrowed. How Laslow worked with him, Una had no clue. They seemed to have a good repour between them, but Una was positive that she would never understand him.

"He's just shy," Laslow murmured into her hair one 'morning'. After a late guard shift, the two had snuck into her room to gain a few hours of sleep. Unfortunately, relief didn't seem to be coming to either of them," If he did not approve of you, you would not have been appointed retainer."

She let out a sigh, tugging his arm closer around her waist," I want him to like me, not approve of me. It has been three months, and I have remained dutifully by Elise's side. What more can I do?"

"Una, you have no need to fret. If you could gain Niles's comradery, you can do anything," His joke managed a chuckle out of her, earning her a smile against the crown of her head," If it makes you feel any better, I do not think Elise likes me."

"Don't be silly. Elise loves everyone."

Laslow talked through his yawn," Untrue. She said that the ladies didn't like my personality."

"…Well, she isn't lying," She giggled, rolling over to see the aghast look plastered on his face," What? Did you honestly think you would fare any better with women in Nohr? Your flirting can come off a tad overbearing."

"If that is true, how did I manage to become engaged to the most beautiful woman in either country?"

Una feigned losing herself into deep thought," I often wonder the same thing," This earned her an even larger huff from her fiancé," You know I jest."

The gray haired man sighed dramatically," Alas, even the finest of women feels the need to pull on sweet ole Laslow's hearstrings-."

One second, she was preparing the perfect response in her head to play along. The next, her door was thrown open and another body launched themselves onto her bed," Una!" Said retainer's blood ran cold at the familiar, peppy voice," I have been practicing all night, and I finally managed to create a spark of lightning! I think I can start training to become a mage!"

Oh gods, it was Elise.

Una pushed herself up with the caution of a hunter approaching a beast, shifting ever so slightly to hide Laslow from view. She could see him sink further beneath the blankets in her peripheral," That's such good news, Elise! Have you told Kostas yet?"

"Nope!" She popped the 'p' with a proud beam," I wanted you to be the first to know. You are one of the strongest mages I know, and…" The princess shuffled at the foot of the bed shyly," I really want you to teach me."

The purple haired woman couldn't help but melt at Elise. It truly was unfair. Whenever she wanted to be angry at the princess, she pulled out something absolutely sweet like this. She did not know whether she was lucky or cursed," Of course I will teach you. If you made a spark all on your own, it means that you have a gift."

"Really?!"

"Really," Una nodded," However, it is still early. A powerful magic user must get a full night's sleep."

Elise beamed at her newly appointed mentor," Okie dokie! Make sure to visist me first-," Midway through salute, something caught the princess's gaze. Without warning, she slammed her fist against the lump of blankets," Assassin! Una, kill it! Kill it, now!"

"Ouch!" The tactician resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands at Laslow's pathetic cry. She should have known they'd get caught. He scrambled out from his hiding spot, using one hand to hush her and the other to rub his new bruise," Calm down, Princess. It is just me."

Elise gasped," It's worse than an assassin! It's Laslow!"

"_Worse than an assassin_?!"

Una pushed her fiancé back onto the pillow with a grumble," Let's calm down, hm? It is still early in the morning and continuing to yell will only cause hysteria. We are all adults; let's handle the matter as such," Much like she predicted, Elise straightened up at the mention of 'being adults'. Her siblings may have been oblivious to it, but it was obvious that the youngest Belin was desperate to be treated maturely.

The purple haired girl padded towards the exit to close the door. She made sure to check no one was outside eavesdropping, only securing it shut once she felt safe," I apologize, Lady Elise," She heard Laslow sigh from behind her," My intent was not to frighten you."

"That's okay!" She replied chipperly," Do you often sneak into ladies' beds?"

Una expected him to revert to his defenses, so the light chuckle she picked up as she turned around threw her for a loop," Do not fret, Lady Elise. Una's bed is the only one I frequently visit."

"Laslow?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I am flattered, but now really isn't the time."

"Noted."

Una settled herself back onto the mattress so she was situated between Elise and Laslow. She was glad that the situation had defused, even if only by a miniscule amount. She and Laslow would be in a mountain of trouble if the night guard had heard her liege's cries," Elise, we are going to trust you with a big secret. You must swear not to tell anybody."

"Ooh, a secret?" Her eyes glowed, barely able to contain her excitement," I promise to keep it."

Huh. That was easier than she thought it would be. Una spared Laslow a look to make sure he was okay, surprised to find him giving her the same treatment. She sent him a quick smile and exhaled in relief when he returned it," Laslow and I are in a relationship."

"A romantic relationship?"

The gray haired man's face fell," Why is that always the first reaction? Is it truly that much of a shock?" He deflated at Elise's astute bob of the head," Is it me? It must be me. The disappointment is always directed-."

Una quickly pressed a finger over his lips to quiet him," Yes, it is a romantic relationship. We met…," Two years ago? Five years ago? Hell, it technically had been twenty ones years ago for Laslow by this point,"…a long time ago. We know it may be an unconventional relationship, but we love each other very much."

Elise tipped her head in confusion," Why would it be unconventional?"

Laslow snorted at her slip up. She had nearly forgotten that the denizens of Nohr had not experienced the same time traveling shenanigans that they had. Luckily her fiancé stepped in before she could make another blunder," Retainers do not often fall in love with one another. Una and I view ourselves as a special case because we knew each other far before either of us came to work for the royal family."

"Oh, okay," The blonde bounced on her knees, practically begging to ask another question," Why does Laslow flirt all the time if he is committed to you?"

"It is a simple cover," He replied easily," Una knows I only have eyes for her. How could I not? She is the most spectacular woman I have ever met. I often wonder what I did to deserve someone as amazing as her," Una felt her cheeks grow red alongside Laslow's," Ah…I apologize. I fluster easily."

The princess chimed out a light laugh, sending a wink towards her retainer," It looks like Una does too," Una groaned, hands reaching up to save herself the embarrassment," This is so exciting! Hardly anyone lets me know their secrets! I'll make extra sure to not say a word," To prove her point, she mimed locking a key over her lips and throwing away the key,"…As long as you still promise to teach me magic."

Una sighed fondly, silently praying to the gods that the thirteen year old would keep her word," You don't need to barter. I said I would do it anyways."

0-0-0

Una nearly had a heart attack when Xander requested a private meeting with her the following week.

Her first thought was that Elise accidentally let their relationship slip to her older brother. She trusted the princess, she really did, but the girl loved nothing more than talking. Laslow was another possibility, seeing that they had a track record of blowing their own secret. They still had Odin around to help, but without Lissa, it was harder to keep things under wraps. The added factor of being newly engaged did not ease the stress placed on her head. When neither of those options seemed viable, she ran through her own memories to see if perhaps she was the one at fault. Had Xander listened in on one of their training sessions? Una often was able to keep herself from flirting back in public, but that tactic was the best to catch Laslow off guard. While damning evidence, that still wasn't concrete proof. Had Xander seen her ring? She wore it around her neck, but maybe a maid had rummaged through her things when she was sleeping and-

Una took a deep breath, eyes fixed on the wood of High Prince's door. She was jumping to conclusions. If it was a matter of her secret relationship, Laslow would have likely been called upon as well. If that wasn't it, then what could it be?

"Miss Una?"

The purple haired girl startled at the small voice behind her, relaxing once she saw who it was," Mozu? What are you doing here?" Her stare flickered down towards the tea set in the girl's hands," Is that for Xander?"

"Yes, ma'am. He requested that someone bring it up for his meeting and I volunteered," Mozu shifted shyly from one foot to the other, a dusting of pink on her cheeks," I accidentally called Lord Xander scary a couple of days ago and I want to make it up to him."

This drew a small smirk out of Una," Don't worry, I used to be a little scared of him too. Do you want to go in together?" The new maid nodded bashfully," Alright. Here we go!"

She rapped her knuckles against the door, a bundle of nerves bubbling in her stomach at Xander's firm," Come in," If Una had been alone, she was sure she'd be shaking in her boots. It wasn't Xander that made her anxious; it was the unfortunate implications that came with a private meeting. The only reason she felt any semblance of confidence was to put Mozu at ease.

Xander was seated at his desk, buried in piles of paperwork. It immediately threw Una back to her days as royal tactician. She certainly didn't miss it, but the smell of parchment and ink made her nostalgic. In an odd way, it helped settle her nerves.

When he noticed it had been the purple haired girl that entered, he politely waved her towards the open chair across from him," Right on time, Una. Please have a seat."

"Err, Lord Xander? I've brought your tea," A meek voice rang out from behind. Xander's stiff composure instantly shifted when the arrival of Mozu was announced. Una felt herself sink against the plush of her chair, suddenly very interested in the interaction between the two people in front of her," I'm awful sorry about what I said before. You didn't do anything wrong. I shouldn't have asked you to leave like that," She shyly dug the toe of her boot between the floorboards,"…Or said that stuff about your face..."

Xander softened," Fret not. It's not the first time that someone has found me intimidating," He merely shrugged his shoulders, seeming weirdly at ease with brunette at his side," Unfortunately, that seems to be the effect I have on most."

"But..."

"It is fine. I am just sorry that I scared you," Xander absently ran his thumb over the tip of his quill. Were they even aware that Una was still in the room? It didn't really matter; She was completely enraptured, sipping from one of the teacups she nabbed while the pair were chatting," I hate the idea that I have added to your suffering, even in so small a way."

Mozu shook her head," No, Milord. I'm the one who was wrong-."

"No. It was my fault, and I must work to correct it. There must be some way for me to appear less intimidating," He set down his writing utensil with a sense of finality," Let me suggest this: Perhaps we could…," He felt a light blush seep into his ears," Cease the formalities?"

The warmth in the room increased tenfold when Mozu squeaked. If that wasn't awkward enough for Una to watch, the sound of Xander clearing his throat did the trick. Was he getting flustered? That made no sense at all. He had hardly known the girl for a month, and while she was pretty, there didn't seem to be anything that set her apart from the other ladies in court. Una found herself tipping her head in interest; What was he thinking?

The silence was eventually broken by Xander himself," Th-Thank you for the tea, Miss Mozu. I hope to see you again soon."

Una's brow dropped; Did he just…stutter?

The brunette curtsied, a shy smile subtly painted on her face," Good day, Lord—I mean, Xander."

If Mozu had turned away a second later, she would have witnessed the High Prince of Nohr's face turn the same color as a tomato. It wasn't as if the new cook had any more dignity; she practically ran out the door with her tail between her legs. Una had to bite her fist to keep from laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

It took Xander a full minute of staring longingly at the door to remember he had a guest. The blond cleared his throat—Una noted how much stiffer the sound was now that the eighteen year old was gone—to pull the two back into their meeting," Una. Help yourself to some-," He paused," Nevermind. I see you have already taken your tea."

"Sorry Xander, but I had to do something to keep myself-," She paused, taking note of the way he choked when she said his name," What is wrong? Was I not supposed to drink the tea yet?"

"…Are you making fun of me?"

Una pressed her lips together in confusion," I apologize, but I don't understand."

She wriggled a little bit underneath his calculating look, only releasing a breath of relief when he began stirring his tea moodily," This was a preposterous idea. Laslow told you ahead of time that I would request your help, didn't he?" Una blinked, feeling just as befuddled as she had when she first arrived in Nohr," If you already know of the situation, I trust you have a solution."

Una carefully set her tea cup down, clenching every muscle in her body to keep herself from showing her growing frustration," Xander, I assure you that I haven't the slightest idea why I am-," She felt something snap in her at another sharp inhale," What is your problem?"

The blond eventually dropped his head in his hands," Must you tease me about Miss Mozu like this?"

"Miss…," Everything finally clicked into place. Xander harbored feelings for their newest recruit. Una could head the ballads already: Tales of a future king finding love not in the court or on a ballroom, but on a battlefield. It was fairly romantic if placed in the right light, and it definitely could be a morale booster for the public. It took all of three seconds for Una to decide helping them together was her new project," I apologize again. Laslow failed to tell me what this meeting was going to be about. I would have come better prepared if I had, though I will say running into the little lady was a nice stroke of luck."

Xander didn't even raise his head," I do not know what to do. I made the mistake of confiding in Laslow and the only way he would promise not to meddle was if I asked for your advice," The man peeked from between his fingers," According to him, many of your friends' marriages were a result from you."

"That's true," Una tried her best not to sound like she was bragging, but it was an accomplishment she was proud of," There is no one better to help you," He narrowed his brow a bit at that, but the fact that he made no comment was encouragement to move on," Let us start with the basics: What do you like about Mozu?"

"Miss Una-."

"Just Una is fine," She waved him off," Come on. There's no need to be embarrassed."

The prince took a deep breath, gathering up his nerves to pull himself back up," I was not always this way. I used to be rather small, much like Leo. I only began training once my brother, Etienne, began to target my younger siblings. They were too young to protect themselves, so I took the duty upon myself," Something grim flashed across his eyes, but he moved on too quickly for Una to dissect it," I have attracted the attention of the court since then. I have received many marriage proposals, but none of them are genuine."

Una sipped her tea," How can you be sure?"

"I have yet to meet any of the senders in person."

"Ah. That'll do it."

This managed the man to crack a small smile," The destruction of Miss Mozu's village was due to my poor planning, so I took it upon my shoulders to look after her. The first time I asked if she was settling in, she pushed me away and called me scary."

The purple haired girl set her cup down with a clink," Do you…enjoy being called scary?"

"Not at all. It had hurt initially, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I probably made her anxious. I am no stranger to negative feelings like that, so I began to make small efforts in my daily routine to come across in a more positive light."

Una smiled," The fact that she approached you today must have meant it had worked in some capacity."

He blushed a little at that," She is always honest. It may have wounded my pride at first, but it helped me realize that my protective nature was starting to hurt those around me," The corners of Xander's lips turned up bashfully," She spoke to me about her village to me once. She looked so…happy. It was mesmerizing."

The tactician's eyes crinkled happily. She had always wondered why Laslow remained so loyal to Xander, but after hearing him confess, she could see his viewpoint more clearly. The man had gone through a lot, and while she was sure she had yet to hear the full story, the snippets that she knew helped her understand him more clearly.

Una straightened, a plan already cooking in her head," It seems that memories of her home bring her joy. What if you brought a bit of her home here?"

"How can I do that? It was burned to the ground."

"I did not mean physically," She giggled," Mozu has spoken to me a little bit about it as well. She had a very friendly community, close like a family," Una felt her own heart surge with a rush of nostalgia. Hearing Mozu talk about her village and their relationship reminded her of the Shepherds," If you help recreate that environment, I'm positive she will appreciate it."

Xander only met her suggestion with a blank stare,"…How can I do that?"

The purple haired girl rose her eyebrow in response. Was this the man meant to run this country after Garon perished? He was a bit more dense than she originally thought," Keep being friendly to her. Make sure she isn't lonely. Make her something that reminds her of home. Better yet, do small things to make _this_ feel like home," Una pushed herself to her feet and dreamily clasped her hands behind her back," Girls may be complicated, but the one thing we all want is to be loved. If you care about her, make it known."

The stare she received was hard, but not harsh. With his chin in the crook between his knuckles and the curious glint in his irises, she knew something was on the tip of his tongue. Instead of acting on his impulse, Xander got up from his seat and turned towards the window behind him," You remind me of Laslow."

Una choked," Pardon?"

"I must admit that I mistook his interest in you as common Laslow behavior. I assume you know him well enough by now to have noted his flirtatious nature," The tactician bobbed her head pensively though she knew he couldn't see it," He speaks highly of you. I may not be qualified in identifying my own feelings, but I have known the man long enough to notice the difference way he looks at you."

A traitorous blush crept up her cheeks," You have?"

She didn't know whether to be angry at him for being obvious or flustered at the implications of Xander's statement. Could he really dissect Laslow's feelings for her from a look? The only people she knew had that ability were herself and his parents-

Una blinked. Now that she thought about it, Xander seemed to share a lot of similarities with Lon'qu. They were both stoic, quiet, and commanded a room just by entering it. They were both oblivious when it came to their own love lives but had much to say when it came to others'. Suddenly, the pieces of Xander and Laslow's relationship were clicking into place.

The prince turned back to face her, eyes hardened with firm resolve," He's a good man."

Her response left her lips before she could process it's reparations," He is the best man I know," Gods, she felt like she was asking his father for Laslow's hand. Why did she have to mentally link Xander to Laslow? She'd never be able to treat him as anything _but_ Laslow's father figure from then on.

She let out a silent prayer in relief at the man's warm smile," Good."

0-0-0

Her drawer was empty.

The light blue haired girl felt her heart drop in her stomach as she frantically patted the hollow wood. Where was it? The merchant had just traded her for it last night. She had only read the first few chapters before falling asleep, but she was positive she had returned it to it's hiding spot the when she awoke the next morning.

"Azura?" The former princess's heart dropped at the sound of her aunt's voice in the doorway," Have you lost something?"

The eighteen year old spun around, subtly bumping the drawer shut with her hip," Mikoto, someone has-," Her words died on her lips when she caught the Queen's inquisitive look. How would she know that her book was gone? Azura's distress quickly faded into exhaustion," May I please have it back?"

Mikoto sighed softly, hands carefully clasped in front of her white kimono," Azura, we have spoken of this before. There is nothing we can do. It is because of that cursed country that I have lost my husband, my sister, and my daughter. Arete would not have wanted this for you."

Azura's gaze fell to the ground, anger seething too far beneath the surface to come out. This was far from the first time this conversation took place. At first it was because Azura longed to help her homeland even though all she could remember were fuzzy images. Now that her mother was gone, all Azura wanted was to feel connected to her again.

She tried explaining this to her aunt before, but the woman wouldn't let two sentences leave her lips before declaring that the subject was too dangerous. Azura knew about the curse and had seen it's deadly implications firsthand; she was lucky to have survived as long as she had. Azura even tried forgetting about her homeland to placate her new family. She had been successful until a merchant from Nohr arrived with books in a language foreign to both countries. The man offered to give it away for free, saying that something nobody could read was worthless. It lined up too perfectly to be anything other than fate.

Azura bit her lip; if that thought were true, then Mikoto would not have confiscated it," I apologize. I did not mean any harm."

The dark haired woman deflated at her niece's tone," I do not find joy in this either, but it is a precaution I must take to protect what family I have left. Please understand."

"I do," Azura lied.

"Good," She knew Mikoto saw right through her just from the inflection of her voice," However, I must ease my nerves. From this moment on, you are not to leave the palace grounds without supervision."

Her golden eyes flew open in shock at that," Mikoto, please don't-."

"You have forced my hand," The queen interrupted sadly," The only cure for broken trust is time. I hope that this will help steer you towards your right path."

Azura pressed her lips together to keep from screaming in frustration. She refused to abandon her country in the same manner that her aunt had, but there was nothing she could do. As much as Mikoto claimed she was part of the family and to be considered a princess amongst them, she knew her real title. Mikoto would trade her away in a heartbeat to get her real daughter back. Azura was nothing more than a prisoner of war.

She let her head drop back towards the ground in defeat. The only way that she could help Valla was to either end the war or earn Mikoto's trust back. Unfortunately, the latter seemed to be her only option," I apologize. I will make sure I do not do something so foolish again."

* * *

**Originally, this and the next chapter were supposed to be one. Then I realized that would be way too long for one chapter and split it into two. I still love Kostas and am holding onto him for as long as I can until he inevitably gets replaced as Elise's retainer (not much of a spoiler because I don't want to disregard Arthur and Ellie). The place that they are in is the same that you find Elise in the Hoshido playthough! It was too cool of a concept to pass up, especially now that we've sort of introduced Valla into the plot. With that said, I think it's fairly obvious that I'm following the Revelations playthrough (Which is why I am editing SO MUCH of the game story). I'm going to go more into that once we learn more about Valla, so I'll leave you guys to speculate what is going on. Elise found out their relationship! It was bound to happen eventually with how close she is to Una. I just love that Elise/Laslow don't really get along and Xander/Una don't really get along. I think it was really important to highlight those relationships in this chapter before I move on. Also, Xander and Mozu! (I'm ageing her up to 18 in this story to make it legal. We do not welcome child/adult relationships in this fic)! They are just so cute! I think that Xander helps push Mozu to be braver/stronger while Mozu inspires him to be softer. I just like a couple that brings the best out of each other. And Mozu-Siegbert is an angel. I love him with brown hair. Azura has been introduced! Originally I was going to put another Mari segment in (That'll be in the next chapter), but I REALLY wanted to introduce her earlier on. Her role in this story is equally important to Una+Mari, so I had to get her in there. **

**I don't know if I said this last week, but these next few chapters are going to be a transition period. There's a lot of exposition I need to write in order to set up Una's role in Revelations, so I wanted to make sure not to skip out on anything important. After all, it'd be odd if she was only there for a month and managed to get married, have kids, and somehow meet Mari. That means we've got A LOT of character building coming up! I hope you're excited! Thanks for reading!**


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